When people talk about fear, it's often in a negative light. A little fear can be good, though. This feeling is your body's natural response to potential harm, and it can be the way your intuition lets you know that something is not right in your environment.

However, fear can easily become a problem. Too much fear can be debilitating, and even small worries that persist for a long time add more stress to your body and mind than is probably healthy. Fortunately, there are several practices that can help you keep natural fear and the anxiety that often accompanies it in check.

Recognize Signs

The first step to addressing any issue is to understand what's going on. There are several distinct reactions that your body can have when you experience fear:

• Faster heart rate
• Shallow or quicker breaths
• Upset stomach
• Increased sweating
• Chills 
• Shaking

These general symptoms can trick you into thinking that something is physically wrong with you. Learning to connect the stimulus (i.e., the event that triggers the reaction) to the physical response itself can have a calming effect that relieves the outward manifestations of what you are feeling.

Take Care of Yourself

The physical response that you experience during fear or anxiety may not be completely due to the situation at hand. Normal reactions can be exacerbated if your habits already leave your energy low. You may be able to protect yourself against extreme reactions by simply engaging in regular self-care. Make sure you get an appropriate amount of sleep each night. Eat healthy, whole foods that don't cause your energy to spike (and thus crash). Stay hydrated, and get an average of 30 minutes of moderate to high-intensity exercise daily. Give yourself a fighting chance to face fear when it arises.

Make Time for Meditation

Just a few minutes of silence every day can make a big difference in your overall stress level. This practice is most useful for persistent worries, as it forces you to take a break from them. If your faith involves the discipline of prayer, consider adding it to your meditation time. Asking God to intervene on your behalf and take the heavy burden of the stressors in your life away is a great way to both start and end each day.

Remember To Socialize

Many people, when they find themselves overwhelmed with fear, choose to isolate themselves. After all, they know that others have their own problems to deal with, and they don't want to add more stress to their loved ones' lives. One of the hallmarks of secure relationships, though, is mutual support. It's not a burden to good friends to let them know what's going on in your life. By sharing your struggles, you communicate that you trust them and in turn get the support you need.

Find a Therapist or Support Group

Sometimes, the effects of fear or anxiety are too strong to handle on your own. While friends can offer empathy, it may be helpful to also seek out professional help. A qualified therapist can listen to you, review your case and offer tried-and-true methods for addressing the issues that anxiety evokes. A support group guided by a trained facilitator gives you another outlet for confronting your fears. Hearing other people's similar stories helps you understand you are not alone. These meetings can remove whatever stigma you may attach to your problems and thus help you face them more directly.

Fear is nothing to be ashamed of. It is a common, natural reaction to potential dangers. The key is to not let it control your life. By keeping it in check with these practices, you can overcome its negative effects and live more abundantly.