“Fear – The Hidden Stressor Hijacking Your Health and Happiness”
Fear is one of the most deeply rooted human emotions. At its core, it’s meant to protect us. It alerts us to danger and helps us survive. But in the modern world, fear has evolved — or rather, mutated — into something far more insidious: a chronic, low-grade state of stress that quietly undermines our health, limits our potential, and shapes our lives in ways we often don’t even notice.
Fear today isn’t just about actual threats — it’s a byproduct of our environment, our upbringing, and most of all, our subconscious programming. And unless we bring it into conscious awareness, it can run the show from behind the scenes — keeping us small, sick, and stuck.
Fear Is a Program — Not a Truth
From the moment we’re born, we’re absorbing information about the world. In the first seven years of life, our brains are in a highly programmable theta state — meaning we’re essentially in a hypnotic trance, taking in everything around us without filtering or questioning.
This is when many of our core beliefs are formed — including those rooted in fear.
We’re told things like:
“It’s not safe to trust others.” or that “The world is a dangerous place”
These messages may have been passed down with good intentions, but they plant the seeds of fear early on. Over time, these beliefs become subconscious programs, shaping how we see the world, what we expect from life, and what we believe is possible. As Dr. Gabor Maté, renowned physician and expert on trauma and stress, explains, “Fear becomes an automatic response, wired into the nervous system.” Similarly, Dr. Bruce Lipton, a cellular biologist and pioneer in epigenetics, outlines in The Biology of Belief that the subconscious mind controls up to 95% of our thoughts, actions, and decisions. This means even if we consciously want success, freedom, or love, our subconscious might be silently working against us — simply because it’s still running an outdated, fear-based program.
Fear Puts the Body Into Survival Mode
Lipton’s work shows how beliefs don’t just live in the mind — they shape our biology. When we experience fear — real or perceived — the body switches into protection mode. This is the classic "fight or flight" response, governed by the sympathetic nervous system. It was designed to help us survive acute danger — but when we’re stuck in fear chronically, our biology stays stuck in survival.
As Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, psychiatrist and trauma expert and author of The Body Keeps the Score, explains, “Stress response becomes chronic, keeping the body in survival mode.”
This shift has serious consequences. Blood is redirected away from vital growth systems like:
The immune system — weakening our ability to fight illness
The digestive system — leading to gut issues and nutrient absorption problems
The reproductive system — causing hormonal imbalances, fertility challenges, and loss of libido
The prefrontal cortex — the part of the brain responsible for decision-making, creativity, and problem-solving
In survival mode, the body prioritizes short-term protection over long-term health. Growth, healing, and repair are put on pause. Even worse, when this becomes our normal state, we begin to experience anxiety, burnout, chronic illness, brain fog, and disconnection — and often have no idea that fear is the root cause, as it’s usually lingering just below our level of awareness.
The Media and the Manipulation of Fear
Nowhere is fear conditioning more obvious than in the media.
News and social platforms exploit our natural negativity bias — the brain’s tendency to focus on threats — because fear grabs attention. In today’s economy, attention means profit.
Fear-based headlines and worst-case scenarios keep us clicking, watching, and absorbing a distorted view of reality — one that keeps the nervous system in a constant state of alert.
This isn’t about ignoring real-world issues. It’s about recognizing the psychological cost of constant fear exposure — and how it silently shapes how we see the world, others, and ourselves.
Fear Doesn’t Just Keep You Sick — It Keeps You Small
One of the most damaging effects of fear is how it impacts your potential. When fear is running in the subconscious, it will quietly sabotage anything that looks like growth, expansion, or risk. It holds you back from starting the business you’ve been dreaming about, saying yes to love, or expressing your truth. It whispers doubts when you want to pursue a creative project, leave an unhealthy environment, travel to a new place, or finally invest in yourself.
Fear convinces you it’s not the right time, that you’re not ready, or that something bad will happen if you step forward — when in reality, those are just old programs trying to keep you “safe.”
So How Do We Rewire Fear?
Awareness is the first step — but experience is what rewires the system.
To move out of fear, we must first stop feeding it. That means consciously limiting your exposure to fear-inducing media, conversations, and environments. Curate your inputs. Choose content that empowers, not paralyzes.
Next, take aligned, courageous action — not in giant leaps, but in small, consistent steps. When you confront a fear — whether it’s speaking your truth, booking the trip, or starting something you've been avoiding — your body receives new information:
“I survived. I grew. I can do this.”
Each time you take action, you weaken the old neural pathways of fear and strengthen new ones rooted in trust, confidence, and resilience.
As Dr. Joe Dispenza, neuroscientist and author specializing in neuroplasticity and personal transformation, explains, “The brain is constantly changing, and you can rewire it with new experiences.”
My Personal Experience: Travel as a Portal to Truth
One of the most powerful ways I’ve challenged fear is through travel. I’ve visited over 170 countries, including many often portrayed in the media as dangerous — In past years I have travelled to North Korea, Iraq and Somalia…Most recently visiting Mali, Syria, Yemen & Libya, to name a few.
Before each trip, I was warned: “It’s not safe.” “You’re crazy.” “Don’t go.” But something in me knew I needed to see for myself.
And what I discovered was nothing like what I’d been told.
Everywhere I have travelled I have met people who were kind, welcoming, and deeply generous. I experienced cultures full of richness, hospitality, and beauty. I saw the truth — not the version shaped by fear-based headlines.
Travel has been both a mirror, showing me where fear lived in my body, and a medicine, helping me rewrite the belief that the world is unsafe. It’s not the only way to do this work — but it’s been one of the most direct and transformative tools I’ve used.
That said, this path isn’t for everyone. If you choose to challenge fear through travel, do it with awareness and preparation. I recommend it for experienced travelers — not as a thrill-seeking move, but as a deliberate way to test what you’ve been told against what’s actually real.
Subconscious Reprogramming: One Powerful Path to Change
While conscious action and lived experience can rewire fear over time, some people benefit from going deeper — into the subconscious mind, where most of our core beliefs are stored.
One approach that supports this level of change is PSYCH-K® — a process designed to help identify and shift limiting subconscious beliefs. It works by bypassing the analytical mind and communicating directly with the subconscious to create new, more supportive patterns.
For those feeling stuck in fear, stress, or self-sabotage, tools like this can offer an effective way to shift deep-rooted internal blocks — especially when combined with real-world action and awareness.
Final Thoughts: Fear Doesn’t Deserve the Driver’s Seat
Fear is part of being human — but it’s not meant to lead your life.
Live in it long enough, and it chips away at your health, your drive, and your sense of possibility. But once you start seeing fear as a pattern — not a truth — you can interrupt it.
You don’t need to be fearless.
You just need to stop letting fear make your decisions.
Growth starts when you stop feeding fear — and start choosing what’s real.