Overcoming Fear 4: Fear and the Body

Fear doesn’t just live in your thoughts; it pulses through your body. Maybe you’ve felt your chest tighten before a hard conversation, your breath grow shallow before stepping into something new, or your stomach twist at the thought of failing. Fear shows up in physical ways that feel overwhelming and undeniable. What’s fascinating is that these same sensations; racing heart, shaky hands, butterflies in your stomach, are also what we feel when we’re excited. The body doesn’t always know the difference.

What changes everything is how you interpret the signal.

When fear arises, your nervous system activates the fight-or-flight response. This is your body’s ancient protection system, designed to keep you safe from danger. Your heart beats faster to send blood to your muscles. Your breath quickens to fuel your body with oxygen. Adrenaline floods your system so you can react instantly. In life-or-death situations, this response is essential. But most of the time, the “threat” isn’t life-threatening, it’s speaking up, making a big decision, starting something new, or being vulnerable. And yet, your body reacts the same way.

Fear and Excitement: The Same Energy

Here’s the empowering truth: fear and excitement are rooted in the same energy. Your body’s response doesn’t actually change. What shifts everything is the meaning you attach to those sensations.

Think of a rollercoaster. One person gets on, feels their stomach drop, their heart pound, and screams in terror. Another person feels the exact same physical sensations but throws their hands in the air, laughing with joy. The only difference is the story being told in the mind.

When you start to recognize that fear and excitement feel the same, you open the door to rewiring your response. The next time your body signals fear, pause and ask:

What if this isn’t fear? What if this is energy rising in me because something meaningful is about to happen?

Listening to the Body’s Signals

Fear can be a messenger. It shows up in different places for each of us. For some, it’s the tightness in the chest. For others, it’s the knot in the stomach or the lump in the throat. Sometimes it’s tension in the shoulders, trembling hands, or even restlessness in the legs.

Instead of fighting these sensations, try listening to them. Place your attention where fear shows up.

Acknowledge it: I feel you in my chest. I feel you in my belly. 

Then, instead of labeling it as danger, gently shift your story: This is energy. This is my body preparing me for something important. This is excitement, not fear.

A journal prompt to explore:

When fear shows up in my body, where do I feel it most strongly?

If I imagined this same sensation as excitement, how would that change the way I respond?

Practices to Rewire Fear into Flow

Fear doesn’t need to be pushed away. It can be transformed. Here are practices you can use to reframe and release fear from the body:

• Breathwork: Slow, intentional breaths calm your nervous system and signal safety. Try inhaling deeply for a count of four, holding for four, and exhaling for six. As you breathe, affirm: I am safe. I am ready. I am supported.

• Movement: Fear is energy. Move it through your body with gentle shaking, stretching, dancing, or even walking outside. Athletes often shake out their hands or jump lightly before performing. It’s how they channel nervous energy into readiness. You can do the same.

• Grounding: When fear feels overwhelming, anchor yourself. Plant your feet firmly on the floor. Place a hand over your heart or stomach. Remind yourself: This is energy. My body is strong. I am present and grounded.

• Reframing Ritual: The next time fear arises, speak to yourself with intention: This is my body preparing me. This is power rising. I choose to call it excitement.

Real-Life Example: The Stage Moment

Imagine standing backstage before giving a speech. Your hands tremble, your chest is pounding, your mouth feels dry. You could tell yourself: I’m terrified. I’m going to mess this up. And you might retreat.

But what if you paused, took a breath, and whispered: This is excitement. My body is giving me the energy to rise to this moment. Suddenly, the same sensations become fuel instead of fear. You step onto the stage with power, not paralysis.

This is how transformation begins, not by eliminating fear, but by changing your relationship with it.

Shifting from Fear to Flow

The body doesn’t lie. Fear will always show up in some form because it’s part of being human. But when you meet fear with awareness, when you listen instead of resist, you unlock choice. You can either let the energy shut you down, or you can redirect it into flow.

Fear and excitement are two sides of the same coin. One contracts; the other expands. The body gives you the raw energy either way. The question is: which story will you choose?

This week, when you feel fear in your body, pause. Breathe. Ask: What if this is excitement? What if this is power rising in me? Then step forward, even if it’s just one small step, and notice how different it feels.

Fear doesn’t have to control you. It can be your invitation to rise.