It’s natural to feel some anxiety about school, but the first step to getting past these fears is to understand them. Experts break fear into three major categories: real fears, imagined fears, and worry.
The Real Thing
Real fears have a strong basis in reality. For example, if you are going to school part-time around your regular job, you may fear you will have difficulty balancing the two. By acknowledging the fear, and paying attention to it, you may be able to find solutions. Real fears are overcome with thought, planning, and discussion. Talk to friends, family members, school staff, and anyone else who might help you brainstorm a solution.
Imagination Gone Wild
Imagined fears are about things we can’t control. Common imagined fears are fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of losing control, fear of commitment, and fear of losing a job.
Imagined fear can be healthy if it challenges us to take stock of our present situation. For example, if you are worried that you won’t be successful because you don’t fit in with a popular clique, you have to question your situation. Can you be successful and not fit in? What would happen if you didn’t fit in but dedicated yourself to your goals anyway? Who are some successful people who didn’t fit in?
For some people, imagined fears become an excuse. They say to themself, “I’m too (old, young, or whatever else) to be taken seriously,” or “People will laugh.” This type of negative self-talk has to be challenged. Hold on to the vision of yourself as a skin care professional, and commit to that vision. It will help you to keep your priorities in perspective.
The Worrying Kind
Worry consists of low-level negative self-talk, and projections of negative outcomes. It’s natural to worry a little, but when it takes over, it depletes your energy. For example, a student realizes her notes for an exam are incomplete. First she tells herself, “I will need to read the chapter again to pass the test.”
Then she starts to worry, “Can I get it all done? Maybe I don’t have time.” Spending all her time worrying about failure instead of getting on with studying, she soon thinks, “This is a waste of time, because I’m going to fail anyway.” She decides to watch TV all evening instead, and fails the test. If this pattern persists, this student will train herself to be very good at failing.
The best way to overcome a fear is to assess it honestly and explore the way it affects your life. Set goals and make positive self-talk a good habit.