Fear of Flying? Then Tame The Gremlin

Gremlin Management.

In the area that we work in, Gremlin Management is a great technique that you can use with helping yourself to overcome a fear or limitation you are imposing upon yourself. Also, once you have learned it, you can use it with other individuals one on one or with groups on mass.

This came from working with a client recently who seemed determined to undermine his ability to change an aspect of his life due to negative self talk.

Simply saying to somebody, You ought to think positive is not always enough.

This is a light hearted and practical technique that I hope you like.

This Gremlin Management idea applies to anyone that wants to either stop doing something they want to stop or start doing something they want to start.

For example, if someone is trying to get better at public speaking, typically, as soon as they entertain the idea that they might do some public speaking, the Gremlin starts. Same with people that have a fear of flying. Part of you wants to do it but another part seems to be getting in the way.

The Gremlin is just another way at recognising that we sometimes have a voice in our heads telling us we are no good at something. Or, we will fail if we even try!

Some people call this The Inner Dialogue, others call it the Self Talk, others may call it the Internal Chatterbox or even Cognitive Chatter. Whatever you call it, most people accept that there are voices in our heads.

What is the difference between people walking around outside with voices in their heads and those locked up with voices in their heads?

A waiting list.

Now, you have control of the inner voice but some clients do not believe this. Here is how you go about helping yourself or someone else to regain control of the Chatterbox.

First of all, this is how you do the Gremlin management with yourself. Once you can do it yourself, you can do it with other people individually or with groups of people.

1. Take a moment to listen to the voice as you about to do the thing that you fear or do not think that you will be good at. What does the voice sound like? Is it male or female? Is it old or young? Is it harsh or soft?

For example, I want to speak in front of others but I know it is going to be rubbish or I will just freeze and not speak.

I am about to board this aircraft but I just KNOW it is going to crash.

2. There are many parts to the mind. One part of you wants to do the thing that you are about to do. Another part of your mind is trying to protect you from failure or feeling bad. The part that is trying to protect you is the Gremlin. Give the Gremlin a name.

3. Think of the situation that you want to go into and notice when the Gremlin voice begins. In your head, thank the Gremlin by name and then replace the voice with another voice saying something like

Thank you Harold - or whatever Gremlin is called - I am going to do something different today. I am going to do this scary thing and if it goes wrong then that is okay too. Or, I CAN do it actually and I WILL.

4. The more times you practice this, the more natural and instinctive it will become to take control of the chatterbox.

5. Practice this lots of times where you feel safe before trying it in the arena that you fear. This makes it easier when you are less feeling less resourceful than normal. For example, waiting until you approach the speaking podium or walking up the steps of the aircraft is leaving it too late to start practising.

I realise that this may seem a bit weird to some of you reading but why not try it. This is a very practical thing we can do in our heads whenever something is stopping us from doing what we want to do and no-one needs to know what we are doing. Also, once you get good at doing it for yourself, you can help others.

If this idea has appealed to you and you want to know more, please have a look at Taming Your Gremlin by Richard David Carson

Listed below are more articles related to the above article from the "Fear Management" article category.

People interested in the above article "Fear of Flying? Then Tame The Gremlin" are also interested in the related articles listed below:

Top Six Reasons To Forgive

No one can change the past, but you do have the power to upgrade how you feel about it, and that makes all the difference. You can take your power back from all those painful memories, and make peace with your past. Forgiveness heals the guilt and the hurt, and does this quietly, privately, and thoroughly. Forgiveness does not mean that you let anyone off the hook, it means that your present happiness is more important than your past suffering.

How To Master Fear Before It Becomes Your Master

In all cases of fear, there is overwhelming evidence of lack of faith. The Holy Scriptures tell us that we should not fear tomorrow because tomorrow will take care of itself. To fear the future is to have no faith in your ability to face its possibilities; for what is a new dawning but a presentation of new and exciting possibilities?

Giving Your Fears Time Off

Facing your fears can make you stronger. What about this statement is true for you? When you have faced a fear, how did you feel? Looking deeper into what you fear and working passed that fear may bring about tremendous shifts in you.

Palmistry Can Be Your Map Through Fear

We are all the summation of our life lessons and the resultant fears they generate. In this article, I'll show you how palmistry can help identify and deal with the "Gremlins" that hold you back in business and create fear in your life.

Resisting Life

Fearlessness is tricky. Let the words contained here help you to see fear in a new way.

Take A Chance! How to Conquer Fear

This is one of my favorite articles. It's by Tom Peters, the author of "In Search of Excellence," and "Passion for Excellence."

Risk Taking: Let's say you were playing poker and you thought you had a decent hand. In fact, you were willing to bet on it! Out of your five poker chips, you bet two. And guess what? Somebody has a better hand, and you lose your two chips! Now, you better be more careful next time, right?

Step One to Changing Your Internal Representations - Distancing

None of us sees the world as it truly is. Rather, we see the world on the screen of our mind's eye, with many alterations and modifications. You can change how you imagine or think of the object of your phobia!