Fear Factors: What Freaks Us Out at Every Age?

I have vivid memories of lying in my bed, staring at the ceiling, at about age 4 or 5.

I had been reading Charlotte’s Web and had convinced myself that hundreds of spiders were parachuting down and landing on my wide-eyed face. I also didn’t care much for clowns, ventriloquist dummies,  and some of the creepy men at my synagogue. Shy and insecure, I feared bullying and disappointing my teachers.

As I got a little older, I dreaded gym class — especially jumping over the horse (which I couldn’t do).

In my 20’s and 30’s my fears morphed into (in no particular order) missing deadlines at school and work, dying in a plane crash while on a business trip, and getting fired or publicly humiliated by my boss. I was also afraid of skiing black diamond runs. But then I did one, and it was actually OK. My limbs are still attached.

Financial and health fears escalated along with my age and, as a mother, I always worry about my kids (but that was a mild anxiety hum rather than a full-on panic). As an entrepreneur, I sometimes have (usually irrational) fears about my skills and pipeline.

The point of all that spew is…

We are all afraid of something, whether or not we admit it. And those fears change over time. Some people are afraid of change. That’s called metathesiophobia. Lots of phobias have names. (If you’re anxiety-prone, you may not even want to click on that list, although I don’t think an actual fear of lists is a thing.)

Fear of failure (also known as atychiphobia) can hold you back from taking calculated risks or trying new approaches or experiences.

In recent years, social media gave rise to a whole new fear category (FOMO or fear of missing out). The pandemic birthed FOGO (fear of going out).

But only by acknowledging and overcoming our fears can we begin to grow — in business and in life. That’s not always an easy thing to do. The first article below has some great suggestions from mental health professionals (as opposed to random bloggers who majored in Psychology).

But despite my lack of professional qualifications, I do know that if you commit to overcoming your fears, realize you’re not alone, and follow advice from experts, fear (and its impact on your health, sleep, and general well-being) can subside with age and experience.

That said, I’m still not a big fan of spiders (arachnophobia) and clowns (coulrophobia) and am grateful that my current profession doesn’t involve circus performers, ventriloquists, or regular excursions to the Amazon Rainforest, where some of the world’s largest creatures reside.

	Don’t be afraid to read this article. It’s really helpful!
	Social anxiety versus FOGO (and what to do about it)
	The impact of fear on your body
	Fears to overcome if you want to succeed in business