How to Work with Threats
We deal with danger all the time in our lives, both real and perceived, though it shows up differently for all of us. The same environment can be safe for one person but present a threat to another. Just imagine a swimming pool for a swimmer and a non-swimmer; or two friends – one white, one Black – being pulled over by a police officer. Sometimes simply hearing about a threat – such as when we read about climate change in the news – can trigger debilitating fear.
In addition, the impact of real and perceived threats is often the same – meaning that we can experience the same heightened sense of fear whether there is a car barreling down the street toward us or we are watching a frightening movie.
The following techniques can help with many of the threats we deal with in our daily lives. (Obviously, life-threatening danger requires other immediate responses.)
Learn to distinguish between real and perceived threats
In order to learn effective responses, it is important to discern between threats that present actual harm and those that only "feel real" and cause unnecessary anxiety. Mindfulness, or paying nonjudgmental attention to your moment-to-moment experience, can help you begin to notice your reactions when you feel threatened. Perhaps your heart begins to pound, or your skin feels hot. When you notice your fear response arising, you can ask yourself: Am I in real danger? If so, what can I do to protect myself?
If you are not in immediate danger, take a deep breath. Acknowledge that you are frightened and practice self-compassion. Once you have calmed a bit, you can decide how to proceed.
Mindfulness can also be a helpful practice for reducing stress by helping you "come back down" after perceiving a threat. Below are some other strategies you can try.
Take a quick, purifying breath
- Inhale into a soft belly, taking in light, love, and healing energy. Picture this as clear, bright, or sparkling. Feel yourself becoming brighter.
- Exhale fully, releasing any tension, anxieties, or worry. You may picture it as darkness or a fog. Breathe out the fear, anger, or sadness.
Examine your thoughts
David worked with a therapist to examine his thoughts and their basis in reality.
Face the fear
“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” Nelson Mandela
As behavioral scientist Frank Niles, says: “Many of us make the mistake of trying to get rid of fear. … Instead our goal should be to free ourselves from the control of fear. This takes courage, which is simply moving forward despite the presence of fear." We can pursue a full and meaningful life alongside of fear.
Don’t catastrophize
Even if you are in a difficult situation, focus on what is happening right then. Don’t waste time thinking about the worst that could happen—it probably never will. Just focus on what you need to do next.What to do when you get a difficult diagnosis
One good example of this is getting bad news at the doctor’s. When Susan was diagnosed with diabetes, she went into a tailspin thinking about all the health issues she would have, and how her life would be completely restricted. As a result, she didn’t think to ask some clarifying questions about managing her disease. Later on, as she found ways to manage her condition, Susan realized how she could have handled the initial news more skillfully.
Strategize
If you know in advance you will be in a fearful situation, plan what you can do. This is when it might be helpful to think about what could go wrong—before you are ever in the situation! Learn as much as you can, come with up strategies and practice them. This is what the U.S. military does—practice and practice until the behavior becomes automatic.
So, for example, if you are afraid of public speaking, you can start by getting feedback on your presentation style, then come up with ways to address your weaknesses and practice in front of progressively larger audiences. In addition, you can anticipate difficult questions or audience behaviors and come up with a plan.
Work collectively to reduce threats to personal safety
Collectively and individually, we need to look for solutions to real threats in our society, such as domestic abuse, gun violence, and systemic racism. While this might seem overwhelming, we can all find a way to do something. .Learn more about getting involved
- Getting involved in our neighborhood (civic engagement) is an effective activity we can all do that reduces violence and crime.
- Planting vegetation in high-crime neighborhoods is another simple action that has been shown to reduce violence and increase connectedness.
- Asking about domestic violence in a non-judgmental way helps victims come forward.
One approach is Gentle Action. The key here is to listen and work with others to identify issues, then start with small, simple steps engaging people from within the community. See what unfolds and make adjustments as necessary.
Kuo, F. (2001). Aggression and violence in the inner city: Effects of environment via mental fatigue. Environment and Behavior, 33(4), 543.
Kuo, F. (2001). Environment and crime in the inner city: Does vegetation reduce crime? Environment and Behavior, 33(3), 343.
Peat, F.D. (2005). Gentle action: Bringing creative change to a turbulent world. Pari, Italy: Pari Publishing.
Southwick, S., Charney, D. (2012). Resilience: The science of mastering life’s greatest challenges. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Stolle, D., & Howard, M. (2008). Civic engagement and civic attitudes in cross-national perspective: Introduction to the symposium. Political Studies, 45, 1.
Jeffrey Wise. (2010). Overcoming Fear. Psychology Today. November 01, 2010. Accessed July 10, 2013 at http://www.psychologytoday.com/collections/201106/fear-and-courage/stea…
