Fear hacking implies picturing the worst-case scenario and making sure, through action, that you are able to manage any difficult situation that can arise. 
The first step after having imagined this scenario, is to create a plan to fight it if this should come true.

Fear hacking

Whenever you feel afraid of the possible outcome of your actions, just go ahead imagining what could go wrong. 
Next, plan what exactly you would you if things were to not work well. Finally, you will be surprised to see that nothing is really that hard as long as you are well prepared both mentally and physically.

Embrace your fears

<figure><img src="https://miro.medium.com/max/500/1*g7lc4WeOTQ7HPh2xyM7NPQ.jpeg" width="680" height="453"><figcaption dir="auto">Photo: Westend61/Getty Images</figcaption></figure>We live in a society that favors <a rel="noopener" href="https://forge.medium.com/the-cure-for-toxic-positivity-155278b7daaa" dir="ltr">positivity</a>. But the motivations are varied. Most are positive for positivity’s sake. But then there are those who are more strategic, like the Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, who <a rel="noopener" href="https://forge.medium.com/four-mindset-traps-holding-you-back-at-work-2b07505f0144" dir="ltr">embrace the possibility of best-laid plans</a> because the likelihood of something going awry can be very high (especially with what he’s doing). Musk refers to this as “fatalism,” but I like to think of it as a necessary part of something more constructive: a psychological process of fear hacking.Fear hacking basically involves <a rel="noopener" href="https://forge.medium.com/michael-phelps-training-strategy-is-a-blueprint-for-any-kind-of-success-f6bff8af1949" dir="ltr">imagining the worst-case scenario</a> and taking the steps necessary to manage any negative potential outcome. Don’t just focus on the shit not hitting the fan. If the shit does hit the fan, you’ll be able to cope. Focus on that instead.<h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">Catastrophize, then plan</h1>You might also call it controlled catastrophic thinking. The key here is the word “controlled.” You don’t want to find yourself spiraling down a rabbit hole of generalized worst-case scenarios, which will just increase your fear, so you do it in a measured way, focusing on specifics.Start by asking yourself, “What could go wrong here?” then ask yourself what you’d do if your fears came true. In most cases, the worst-case scenario will feel a lot more catastrophic than it would turn out to be if it actually happened. And, having planned for a disaster, it’s likely that you’ll improve your performance (regardless of the outcome) having used this strategy.There’s a lot to be said for considering an outcome that doesn’t go your way. Obviously, your hope is that it doesn’t happen, but if it does — and sometimes it will — you’ve already confronted that reality and developed a contingency plan for it. It removes the chances of a knee-jerk, anxiety-fueled reaction. It also diminishes the idea of the “unknown” because you’re interacting directly with your fear, which, in turn, lessens the fear’s weight.When you get to a point of saying, “Let’s be realistic: This could go horribly wrong but I’m prepared and I’m going to do it and hope for the best,” the fear of failure will feel somewhat detached from you, especially if you’ve followed the previous step of exercising your fears so they’re no longer pent up inside you.<h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">Follow your fears</h1>Follow your fears to the point of having a resolution if they were to come true, knowing that you can cope with all eventualities. For example, let’s say you’re afraid of initiating a <a rel="noopener" href="https://forge.medium.com/how-to-be-an-effective-boss-if-you-hate-conflict-ccd7ba73b7a5" dir="ltr">tough but necessary conversation</a> with a colleague. You worry that she’ll be mad at you; maybe you’ll even argue. What then? You’ll feel bad, but will that feeling be permanent? Will you learn something? Will you feel better for having told her the truth and done the right thing? Will your working relationship be stronger in the long run? By interacting with different possible outcomes, you can plan what to do if it all goes wrong. You can be okay with the risk you are taking, off the bat.This strategy applies very well to instances of <a rel="noopener" href="https://forge.medium.com/how-to-get-over-your-fear-of-public-speaking-4b26abc17373" dir="ltr">public speaking</a>, too — whether in person or via a company-wide teleconference with the camera up close and personal on your face. Public speaking in all of its forms can be a major source of anxiety for me. I prepare by imagining any and all of the following worst-case scenarios:<UL><LI>My slides might not work on the screen</LI><LI>I won’t remember what I wanted to say</LI><LI>I’ll have food stuck in my teeth</LI></UL>All of these possibilities make me more anxious about the task at hand. I cope by going through each fear and planning for it. I give my teeth a mirror-check (and, if needed, a floss). I charge my laptop in advance and I have my plug handy, just in case. I write my presentation out on cue cards and I print two copies. I rehearse my main talking points ahead of time so I can feel confident about my ability to speak with authority (and memory).If I approached each public speaking obligation with the attitude that “it’ll all be fine,” instead of confronting my fears head-on, I would likely have experienced some of these unwanted issues at some point. They could have even turned out more disastrously than I’d imagined. And, most of all, my performance wouldn’t have been as good as it could have been had I not considered the ways in which things could go wrong and prepared accordingly.Fear hacking is the lesser-known upshot of pessimism, and an unexpected tool within your confidence kit. So, go ahead and catastrophize.<figure><img src="https://miro.medium.com/max/500/1*sCq9YAqT7A4nsoIt57V3rA@2x.png" width="200" height="280"><figcaption class="hu hv dc da db hw hx aq ck fl as av" data-selectable-paragraph="" dir="ltr">Excerpt from <a href="https://theexperimentpublishing.com/catalogs/spring-2020/you-got-this/" class="co gk ix iy iz ja" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">You Got This</a> © Caroline Foran, 2020. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, <a href="http://theexperimentpublishing.com/" class="co gk ix iy iz ja" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">The Experiment</a>. Available wherever books are sold.</figcaption></figure>

Anticipation and preparedness will improve your performance, no matter the outcome

‘Fear Hacking’ Is the New Positive Thinking

Fear hacking

Embrace your fears

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