Whatever form fear arrives in (e.g. worry, anxiety, doubt), it disconnects you from your center. It's subtle and quick, and before you know it you find yourself stuck in ruminating, feeling hopeless and pointless.
Fear has a way of convincing us that whatever fearful thing we are focused on, is the truth. It has a way of keeping us trapped in our perceptions and low mood.
It is very tricky.
Many books I'm reading at present speak to fear as getting things stuck in your body-mind system; and recreating the exact situation you fear.
At it's core, beginning the journey out of fear seems unanimously to be to increase your awareness of your inner states (mind-body) and to have self-compassion for whatever you find along the way.
Daily practice is encouraged. Anything that allows you to tune in to where you're at in the moment (e.g. mindfulness, meditation, yoga, self-reflective journalling/writing).
Any practice you devote to getting to know your inner world is helpful, regardless of how imperfect it may be. Remember you can seek a guide for this process - receiving help from someone who has done the work themselves can be invaluable.
A few of the books I'm reading at present:
"No Bad Parts" by Richard Schwartz
"The Untethered Soul" by Michael Singer
"The Universe has your back" by Gabrielle Bernstein
Keep in mind that when you start the journey of going inwards, it can be overwhelming at first as you discover the sheer volume and negativity of your thoughts and the mass and intensity of your feelings.
My suggestion is to slow down as much as you possibly can. Name one thing at a time, e.g. "I notice I'm having the thought that..." "I notice I'm having the feeling ..." "I notice my mind is telling me the story of ...".
Especially in the beginning, your mind will have a LOT to say about your turning inwards to your thoughts and feelings, such as "This is a waste of time", "Nothing good will come of this", "You're doing it wrong". Noticing such reactions is part of the self-reflective work, so nice job! Keep Going!
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Written by Anna Wiederroth, Psychodynamic Clinical Psychologist (Individual and Couple Therapy)