Getting Over Your Fears

I am the type of person who does not have normal fears. I don't mind spiders or snakes. But I have some fears that are so irrational and make zero sense. Yet they're still there. Over the past year or so I have successfully gotten over a few of my biggest fears and feel super proud and powerful knowing I can do things on my own.

The first one is finding a good doctor, in a new state.

It is so hard to find a doctor when you are used to YOUR doctor that you have seen your entire life. And you are far away from home and do not have the help of your parents. What do you do? Where do you go? Who do you call?

The answer is, you ask everyone. Any person you know who is in the area, ask. You will get a HUGE variety of answers and when you find the right answer, you will just know. You will be able to feel it, like damn that is the doctor I need to see. And then you call and make the appointment and feel a huge huge weight off your shoulders.

Unless you are like me…

Then you just feel more anxious because you hate new doctors, almost as much as you hate getting your haircut. Which is ironic, because one you're going to be a doctor and two whenever you get your hair done, you do something different whether it be color or cut or even both.

But the doctors are a little more serious.

So I recently had a relatively urgent doctors appointment (don't worry, I'm not dying) and I drove myself there and sat through the entire appointment and drove home all by myself. It was awful. I may have teared up once while inside.

But I DID IT.

I drove home, and I was super tired from everything and being anxious all day but also super super proud of myself for getting through everything and actually accomplishing something I wouldn't usually do.

On a much lighter and more humorous note…

Do you know how people are TERRIFIED of spiders, or snakes or rats? I am terrified like will cry and run, absolutely terrified of…

Frogs.

Yes, frogs.

And honestly, the next step is to try to at least be able to be in the same area of a frog without becoming incredibly anxious. This will hopefully allow me to be much more comfortable with so many different outdoor activities and even better at my current job.

While facing your fears is terrifying and super super hard it makes you a much more well rounded. You can do things you never thought you would be able to do and feel accomplished.

It is like when I crashed my car, I was afraid to drive again when I got home. But my mom knew that I had to drive because if I didn't drive immediately after I probably wouldn't have. It was both terrifying but also so important and imperative to my everyday life.

The point is to just do something that scares you every day, even if it is small and seems "dumb". You won't regret it.