How Are We Conditioned By Anticipatory Fear?

Anticipatory anxiety is a process that we carry out on a mental level. We imagine the worst that could possibly happen in a given situation that causes stress or anxiety. For example, before you have a job interview, imagine that they are going to ask you uncomfortable questions that you are unable to answer. Then out of fear you don’t know anything at all and you are eventually rejected for the position.

One of the direct consequences of this form of fear is that we no longer focus on the present. We begin to project dark clouds into the future that we cannot possibly dispel. Simply because we cannot reach into the future and therefore cannot touch these events. The anticipation is associated with catastrophic thoughts about the future. It is as if we are constantly living on the edge of danger and need to protect ourselves from possible future threats.

Negative Thoughts Feed Anticipatory Anxiety

Although we may not want to, we are often overcome by negative thoughts. Which then control our minds and make us fearful. When the things we think make us feel bad, we call it twisted thoughts or cognitive distortions. These kinds of thoughts make us see the world through a biased view of reality. It’s like wearing dark glasses that obscure the daylight.

Imagine that you are in front of an audience and you have to give a lecture. In this case, if you suffer from anticipatory anxiety, catastrophic thoughts such as “I’m never going to make this happen,” “I’m going to blackout,” or “They’re going to laugh at me.” These kinds of thoughts make it difficult to think clearly about situations that you perceive as threatening. If these kinds of thoughts stay in our heads, they can eventually become reality. Psychologists call this a “self-fulfilling prophecy.”

Self-fulfilling prophecy means that a negative expectation shapes our behavior in such a way that what we imagined is actually fulfilled. If we are constantly afraid that we will have a mental block while giving a presentation, it is very possible that we are creating the conditions for this to actually happen. This confirms our negative prediction.

Anticipatory fear tries to predict the future and makes it worse

Fear helps us to mobilize our bodies against a potential threat or real danger. Fear in itself is not bad. On the contrary, it gives us information about possible dangers. On the other hand, anticipatory anxiety tries to predict the consequences of a future event. It tries to prevent a danger that has not yet happened. This can be helpful in some cases and can help us protect ourselves. But at other times it will make our way considerably more difficult.

For example, if you’re concerned that you’ll be in a car accident, putting on your belt is probably the first thing you do when you get into a car. This response can protect you in the event of an accident. But not all reactions that anticipatory anxiety produces are helpful. The fear of a car accident, for example, can also make you decide to stay at home and not go by car. This will only increase your fear, making it impossible to get rid of it.

Some of the symptoms that anticipatory anxiety can cause include dizziness, tachycardia, sweating, chest pain, and stuttering. In addition, our emotions may take over and we lose control of the situation. These symptoms are caused by a lack of tolerance for what we cannot control. We often find it difficult to control feelings of insecurity. We get stressed because we can’t control everything that happens around us.

Some Tips to Reduce Anticipatory Anxiety

To overcome anticipatory anxiety, it is often necessary to consult a psychologist. And in some cases this will have to be supplemented with the help of a pharmacologist. One piece of advice is: stop the negative thoughts, focus on your breathing, practice mindfulness, exercise and train yourself to deal with situations where you panic. Let’s discuss them one by one.

Hold back your negative thoughts

Imagine being able to talk to your negative thoughts. That you can tell them you don’t want them to bother you anymore. Tell them to leave you alone and that you will pay attention to them later. When you’re done with other, more important things. When we postpone our thoughts, it’s easier to let them have less influence on our emotions and to feel more confident.

This habit of delaying thinking about a particular idea works best when we set a day and time to think about it. By doing this, we don’t put it off indefinitely.

Train yourself to better deal with frightening situations

If you keep exposing yourself to things that scare you in a steady way, your fear will gradually decrease. The solution is not to avoid the things you fear, but to face small challenges that can help you overcome your deepest fears. For example, if you’re afraid of flying, picking someone up from the airport and watching the planes take off and land can be a positive first step.

Learn to live in the present

Anxiety arises because you try to look too far into the future.  If you also train yourself to live in the present, you will feel a lot calmer. Habits such as mindfulness or meditation can help overcome anticipatory anxiety. For example, if you focus on your breathing in the minutes leading up to a presentation, your negative thoughts will disappear or at least be reduced.

Do a form of exercise that makes you feel good

Exercise can help you get rid of fear once and for all. Not only do you take care of your body, but you also contribute to your mental health. To make exercise a habit, it’s important that you gradually incorporate it into your life. If you overdo it, you will only experience stiffness, possibly even an injury. Which means you won’t do it again for a very long time.

If we use the anticipatory fear as an impulse to improve and learn from ourselves, we will take advantage of its positive side. We can learn to face it and judge it with a healthy degree of skepticism.

To do this, it’s helpful to learn to “dedramatize” and see that the worst that can eventually happen is simply a probability. The rest of our lives happen here and now, right in front of us and we have the opportunity to grab it, grow and live fully in the present.