Certain situations can provoke feelings of anxiety in people. Behaviour Analysts highlight that although at times people try to make things easier by avoiding these situations, when people give in to their fears, it strengthens the fear & makes it worse. These anxieties can be overcome but first they have to be faced.
Studies in Behaviour Analysis show that the more people face their fears & realise they have the ability to handle them, the less anxious they become surrounding it. Behaviour Therapists point out that this builds the person’s confidence surrounding the situation & although the person may still feel some anxiety around the situation, the more they show up & face it, the better equipped they will be able to handle it & the easier it will become.
So instead of limiting/avoiding doing things that you would like to do but that scare you, ease yourself into it slowly & gradually, & be proud of yourself for pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. When we acknowledge our achievements & the feeling of pride of facing our fears, this spurs us on & motivates us to tackle the next thing.
The same applies to child behaviour – Child Therapists recommend that instead of taking a parenting approach of sheltering your child by letting them avoid situations that worry them, it is better for parents to build them up & give them the supports they need to face & overcome it. It will ultimately build their confidence & teach them they are able for the obstacles they meet in life.
If the right supports are not put in place before a child faces their fears, then the anxiety surrounding the situation can display itself in the form of negative behaviour which can be mistaken as behaviour challenges such as tantrums or attention-seeking behaviours. Parents can mistakenly think that their child needs to work on managing anger, when in reality it is just the anxiety showing up in this form. This is why it is essential that the right supports are put in place before addressing the fear.
