Empower yourself.
‘By empowering yourself to shift your thinking patterns, you can change the way you perceive fear and courage.’- Mary Poffenroth, PhD
Extend kindness to yourself.
‘Try to always extend kindness and understanding to yourself when you make mistakes or encounter difficulties.’- Mary Poffenroth, PhD
Reframe your thoughts.
‘Reframing is not about making every negative thought a positive one; it’s about placing an unhelpful thought into the light of reality.’– Mary Poffenroth
Transform your expectations.
‘If you can transform your expectations from fear based to courage based, your behavior toward yourself and others reflects those expectations, leading to braver choices and a more courageous mind.’- Mary Poffenroth, PhD
Engage in positive activities.
‘By engaging in net-positive playful activities such as games or art without ambition, our attention is diverted away from these negative thoughts and toward something far more enjoyable and uplifting.’- Mary Poffenroth, PhD
Practice gratitude.
‘Gratitude is a powerful practice for bringing more joy into our lives– and there are so many ways to weave it into your routine.’- Mary Poffenroth, PhD
Focus your attention on things you enjoy
‘By focusing your attention on something benign, like spinning a tiny ball bearing around on a ring, you can help yourself not focus quite so much on a stress trigger.’- Mary Poffenroth
Be brave.
‘Living courageously means being willing to move through fear rather than avoiding or denying its presence in your life.’- Mary Poffenroth
Name your fear.
‘By assigning a specific name to your fear, you solidify the experience you’re having.’- Mary Poffenroth
Control your thoughts.
‘By spotting our fear-influenced thinking patterns and understanding their root causes, we can start building bridges away from those invisible fear cages that keep us trapped.’- Mary Poffenroth, PhD
Further Reading:
Mary Poffenroth (2024). Brave New You: Strategies, Tools, and Neurohacks to Live More Courageously Every Day
