It's time to release the fear and start living again

It’s time to heal. It’s time to celebrate. It’s time to start living again.

Media and marketing messages have always tended to be doom laden but the deliberate misuse of evidence-based psychology to create a constant state of fear and anxiety has created a lot of damage.

It reminds me of teaching Year 11 Maths. Every year the whole year group would be subjected to the same fear and doom over the dangerous consequences of not hitting their exam target grades. 

This was not done to create fear and anxiety, it was done because teachers genuinely care. Unfortunately the fear and doom message was heard more strongly by the very students who really didn’t need to hear it and completely ignored by those who it was aimed at.

And that’s what I see now. We already had a mental health crisis. Constant messages of fear and doom obviously weren’t going to alleviate this. So whilst some people are getting on with their lives, seeing their families, going to work grateful that the fear and doom didn’t happen, others are paralysed by fear and anxiety. And this is just wrong, really, really wrong.

I was talking to a young shop assistant and asked her if she was going to get out and enjoy the sunshine after work. She said no. She explained that she didn't go out any more because she was too scared.

Imagine if the government, the media and social media got together and decided to put out messages of celebration and joy. Imagine if they decided to undo the damage done by their messaging.

So here’s my contribution to the conversation and a technique to help you let go of the fear and anxiety that may have built up within the body over the last 18 months.

Episode 69 of The Overwhelm is Optional podcast is out now.