3 Ways to Overcome Loneliness & Your Fear of the Unknown
By Thomas Parker
Fear and loneliness are two very powerful, complex and unpleasant emotions. As you are probably aware, both emotions can manifest physically. For example, if you are scared of snakes then you will experience fear at the physical presence of snakes. However, they can also affect you emotionally, often without you realising. In this article I will be discussing the emotional fear of the unknown, emotional loneliness and how to overcome them.
The fear of the unknown refers to fears that are based on absolutely nothing but act as mental obstacles. It prevents you from reaching your full potential in a number of areas of your life. Everytime you approach unfamiliarity in your life this fear of the unknown manifests itself and prevents you from taking further action. Instead you choose to do nothing and remain in your own personal comfort zone. For example, maybe you are used to being single. You start to get close to someone but as the relationship develops you get scared and back away. You may come up with a number of excuses but the real reason holding you back is likely to be a fear of entering into the unknown waters of a new relationship. The fear of the unknown is not a dangerous condition but it can hinder you and your decision making throughout your life.
Loneliness is potentially a more dangerous emotional state which in the worst cases can lead to depression and suicide. Emotional loneliness does not have to be associated with physical loneliness. You can be physically alone but still remain happy. Instead, the emotion of loneliness is often linked with personal insecurities which make you think that you are isolated from others. For example, maybe you feel like a social outcast because you do not have a partner. This is not true because lots of single people are perfectly happy and are certainly not social outcasts. It is just an emotional state.
So how can you overcome these two mental afflictions? Well the first step is to identify that you are actually suffering from them. If you are constantly affected by feelings of rejection and/or have real trouble taking chances in your life, the signs of emotional loneliness and the fear of the unknown are present.
Once you have identified the problem you can begin to take action. Below I have listed 3 suggestions which should help you overcome these emotional states:
1) TAKE UP AN ACTIVITY THAT YOU HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO:- Maybe you have always wanted to join the local soccer team but you made excuses not to? Well now is the time to dive in and do that special activity. Not only will this require you to take a chance and overcome your fear of the unknown, but the situation will also allow you to connect with other people, reducing your feelings of isolation.
2) GO TRAVELLING:- If we are being honest, most of us have ambitions to see the world and go travelling. However, the fear of the unknown keeps us trapped in a pretty routine lifestyle so that this is never possible. Now I know for some people certain constraints in their lives will stop them going travelling. However, if you sit down and think “can I really not go or am I just staying in my comfort zone?” you may be surprised at the answer. Going travelling represents a huge leap into the unknown. Therefore, it is an excellent idea for overcoming your fear of the unknown. Plus, you will meet all kinds of people on your travels and start to feel accepted.
3) FEEL GOOD ABOUT YOURSELF:- This one is probably the most important. If you cannot love yourself is it fair to ask others to love you? If you do not accept yourself as a person then it is no wonder you feel isolated. No matter what your physical condition or your financial circumstances, you need to start thinking about yourself positively. Once you start to think about yourself positively you will develop a new found sense of confidence. This confidence will help you destroy the feelings of loneliness and allow you to take more risks, helping you overcome your fear of the unknown.
In conclusion, to overcome any potential problems you first need to look at your behaviours. If you find yourself behaving in a way that reflects loneliness or fear of the unknown you then need to do something about it. The above article lists 3 of the many potential solutions. Do something that involves you taking a chance and lets you meet other people, and in time you will forget these negative emotions ever existed.