By Leo Babauta

When we’re feeling overwhelmed or underwater with everything we’re facing … when we’re stuck in procrastination and indecision … what we rarely realize is that we’re feeling fear.

Fear likes to stay hidden, so we just see the symptoms of fear (avoiding, being distracted, feeling behind on everything) and then we judge ourselves for the symptoms.

But if we recognize that there’s fear, then we can really understand what’s going on.

Fear makes us freeze, so we procrastinate even if we have a lot to do. Fear makes us indecisive, because we’re afraid we’ll make the wrong choice. Fear makes us rush and jump around from one thing to the next, so that we can’t focus.

If we can ease our fear, everything becomes a lot easier.

So how do we ease our fear? A practice of self-trust.

You might try the practice:

1. Recognize that you have fear, and that it’s causing you to freeze or tighten, making the situation more difficult.

2. Remind yourself that you’re safe, and that you can handle this.

3. Ask yourself what you’d do if you trusted yourself completely.

4. Breathe, and take that trusting action. Practice trusting yourself even if it feels shaky.

5. Acknowledge yourself for practicing.

And repeat. Developing self-trust allows the fear to ease and everything to become easier and flowing.