Tactic Four. Make a gratitude list
Concentrating on what you're grateful for shifts fear. Gratitude is a form of positive energy. If you want it, you've got to seek it out. Gratitude doesn't just happen. By accentuating blessings, not problems, you're supplanting negative thoughts with positive vibes.
Breaking the Trance. Take at least ten minutes to compile your list; keep adding to it later. An attitude of thanksgiving is a mighty trance-breaker. By enlarging your list and reviewing it daily, fear doesn't have a chance.
Tactic Five. Visit an uplifting energetic place
When fear takes hold, brooding in isolation isn't the answer. Get out of the house. It's all over if you become fear's captive audience. Go to a setting that makes you happy. Positive vibes will rub off on you.
Breaking the Trance. Visit places that feed your soul. When I'm depressed, I huddle reading in a corner of a book store, go to animal shelters and melt at all those sweet eyes, or if I'm really lucky, a circus comes to town.
Tactic Six. Heal Energetic Scars
If fear persists, it may be rooted in the past. Unlike traditional psychotherapy, Energy Psychiatry doesn't view old traumas simply as a memory; it acknowledges that they lodge in our fields, forming energetic scar tissue which blocks life force. Fear is locked in these scars, but when scars break up, fear dissipates. Traumas must be retraced and healed for energy flow to resume.
Breaking the Trance. Don't let fears fester. For stubborn ones, it's wise to seek psychotherapy (energy-oriented is best; see Resource section for referrals) or anger workshops. As you recognize fears, also keep breathing them out of the body. Visualize them exiting from a stuck place--say the stomach--with each exhalation.
Tactic Seven. Avoid Absorbing Other People's Fears
Empaths alert! There's no upside to taking on the fears of others. As I train my empath-patients, be extra-vigilant when fear strikes to avoid emotional overwhelm. If you've been around a frightened person, and you leave upset or afraid, it's a good bet you've shouldered some of that angst.
Breaking the Trance. When fear crops up instantly ask yourself: Is this mine or someone else's? If the fear is yours, softly confront it. If not, it may be easy to pinpoint the obvious generator. To detach from fear: (1) When possible, distance yourself from the source. Move at least twenty feet away, out of their energy field; you'll feel relief. Don't err on the side of not wanting to offend strangers. In a public place I don't hesitate to change seats if I get unsettling vibes. (2) For a few minutes, center yourself by concentrating on your breath: keep exhaling fear, inhaling calm.
Judith Orloff, M.D. is a board-certified psychiatrist and a medical intuitive. This article is adapted from her newest book, Positive Energy: Ten Extraordinary Prescriptions for Transforming Fatigue, Stress, and Fear into Vibrance, Strength and Love (Harmony Books). She's also written the bestsellers Guide to Intuitive Healing and Second Sight. Dr. Orloff is an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at UCLA and an international workshop leader. For more information on Dr. Orloff's workshops and national book tour schedule visit www.drjudithorloff.com.