I am Dr. Hassan, a Board-Certified Physiatrist and Independent Practice Owner. I help physiatrists start and grow their own profitable practices so they can achieve financial independence and live without limits.
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Are any of the fears you have based on uncertainty? A lot of them probably are. You have an upcoming job interview and need it to go right. You want to ask someone out on a date, and this is a person you’ve wanted to invite out for a very long time. In both cases, your fear of a negative outcome is based on the fact that you don’t know what will happen.
Your uncertainty could have you expecting a positive outcome. That’s not what usually happens, though.
Fear is directed towards keeping you from harm, so you begin to imagine that the outcome in those situations will be negative. That uncertainty and constant harboring of potentially terrible possibilities can cause you to perform poorly in your interview and to decide not to ask your dream mate out on a date.
Uncertainty can be offset by understanding where fear comes from. You learn more about what’s causing you to feel that way. The next time you have fearful thoughts, break them down, and you’ll see that they are all one of the following three main types of fear.
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Primal Fear
You weren’t taught this fear. You didn’t learn from some lesson in your life or an experience you had. These types of fears have been encoded into your genetic makeup. They exist because of the naturally normal action of fear as a response to a very real danger or threat.
Some of your fears were passed along to you from the very first humans. It may be hard to believe you share a fear that saved a person’s life many thousands of generations ago, but it’s true.
You fear getting attacked by an animal in the wild because that helped your predecessors survive. If one of the earliest humans didn’t fear an attack from a wild animal, they didn’t last very long. Their fellow tribesmen remembered the experience and developed a healthy fear of wild animals. This is an example of a primal fear that has made it down the timeline of human history to you.
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Irrational Fear
These fears don’t make logical sense. They vary from one person to another because of individual experiences, trauma, and teachings. Think of it as part of your brain being afraid and the other part not wondering why.
You fear something without having proof that you should feel this way. Lachanophobia (fear of vegetables) and trypophobia (fear of images that have patterns with bumps or holes) are examples of irrational fears.
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Rational Fear
A fear of dying is very rational. When something is a clear and imminent threat to your emotional or physical well-being, it makes sense to have a fear response. A fear of heights is rational if you’re standing on the very edge of a tall cliff.
Understanding the types of fear you are experiencing can remove some of its power. You get to know why you are feeling a certain way. This can lead to the appropriate response rather than letting an irrational fear lead to behaviors that aren’t beneficial. Categorizing your fears can keep them from holding you back.
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Once you’ve decided that you want to leave your current job to start your practice, you need an exit plan. Check out our blog post here for tips on developing an exit plan and starting your new independent practice.
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I’m Dr. Hassan, a Board-Certified Physiatrist and Independent Practice Owner. I help physiatrists start and grow their own profitable practices so they can achieve financial independence and live without limits. Please go to businessofrehab.com/contractnegotiations to pick up the free guide to help you negotiate the contract of your dreams.
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