Category: fear, pain, emotions

Is ego negative? 4 simple points of understanding.

by drjurisharma, posted in Ego, egoism, pride, self, self identity, self awareness, emotional health, fear, pain, emotions, healing, health, mental health, Science, wellness

By ego, it means simply, our identity of “self “. It is neither negative nor positive. As a human being to live and survive, we need a strong sense of identity to develop relationships, to thrive, to make a living, to succeed. So, there is nothing wrong with it. Chasing your dream, wanting to own a big house, an expensive car, to earn money, going for adventure is not at all bad.

But, when ego turns into pride, we become over conscious of our identity. When “self” rules life and when fear craves to overprotect our self-identity, then, ego can be disastrous to both us and the people around with whom we live. We become completely blinded of our true identity (soul identity) in order to protect our fake self or ego. We fail to understand, acknowledge and hold no room for other’s opinions and feelings as we think we are always right.

Fake self identity

So, religious practices like Buddhism preaches to conquer the ego and lead a life of our true self. Because, the ego is often identified as our false self, materialistic state, social status, the success which can never lead to happiness and peace within.
So, how do we control our ego? Monks and yogis practised meditation for years to get into their true self and tarnished their ego. But, neither you and I have that much time or patience in our everyday life to practise to let go of our ego.


1.So, the easy way to control our ego is being aware of our existence, the limited time we live in this world. And to remember that death is inevitable and inescapable.

2. Staying grounded, and being in company of people that keep you grounded.

3.Realising the present moment, being grateful for it. To understand that living every moment is a blessing and gift.

4. Being aware and avoiding our egotistical pattern of thinking and reactions. (e.g. I am superior, I am better than others, No one can compete with me ….. so on). Reminding myself, that this world has been created by perception, not reality and everything here is transient, not permanent. Our real self and true nature is our relationship with the Universe and the Divine.

All these steps help us to be close to our true self and remind us that our ego is simply, a self-identity tool, just a survival trait in this competitive world and nothing else. We know when to draw the line and not losing our true self and peace.

Courtesy: Motivation blog

Thanks for reading.

Peace and love 🙏

Post :Fear Factor !

by drjurisharma, posted in brain, cognitive health, emotional health, fear, pain, emotions, healing, health, life, mental health, Science, wellness

Fear Factor !

In each one of us, life runs with a common drive, call emotion. Whatever action we do, there is an emotion behind. Not only human, but all animals have emotions. So, fear is also a basic emotion, an instinct for a potential danger. 

Whenever we see, feel, sense some kind of danger/threat, biologically, the amygdala and hypothalamus in the brain get instantly activated. The stress hormones like cortisol, adrenaline are pumped in the blood stream which result in rapid heart beat, high blood pressure, dilated pupil, tightening of big muscles and sweating, ready to run, fight or response. Actually, this is our biological mechanism, a protective response which helps us to survive. Fear, as an instinct is not bad at all. In fact when fear comes, our mind becomes focus, sharpened at the particular task and we can perform better. It is an adaptive mechanism.The instinct is short lived and the body comes back to its normal homeostasis.

Feeling little fear for an upcoming event, job interview, exam, speech, stage performance is a natural instinct. In fact, it would help you to be more focus on the up coming task. Instinctual fear for fire, height, speed or some kind of potential danger to life is all natural. So fear is adaptive and protective when short lived. 

But then, why fear affect us ? When fear becomes habitual, crippling, excessive, it will eventually affect our mental and physical health. When fear is imaginative, irrational, unrealistic, it gets you into real trouble. It will affect your daily life. Then, it is no longer instinctive. It becomes habitual in the sub conscious mind for some imaginative events or ideas which is not even real or that has never happened. In such cases, it is very difficult to get out of such mind frame. Constant fear can lead to anxiety. Anxiety and stress not only have negative impact on your health but also the daily functioning of life. To get out from a habitual fear, a default sub conscious programme, you need to be constantly aware of such moments. The most important thing is your will power, the trust and belief in yourself to bring out the change. This is not an easy task. But, yes, it is possible and you can overcome fear eventually. At times, professional help might be necessary, if the situation is out of control. 
When it comes to fear, childhood is an important phase. Unrealistic, irrational fears inculcated in childhood may result in anxiety, phobias and even panic attacks in future life. 

Simple tips to overcome your fear in everyday life. 

Start facing your fear. The first or second time, you may tumble, but slowly you will overcome. 

As I have already mentioned, by being more aware of such moments, know yourself why you get anxious or fearful and being prepared for such moments. So next time, when it comes you know, it is just your imaginative mind. Take a few deep breathes, and it goes away after a while.

Try maintain a calm mind, exercise, yoga and meditation surely helps in calming the mind. 

Your spirituality or faith in something that is higher than you makes you feel connected and safe.

But lastly, yes, if fear is out of control, medical/professional help is necessary. 

Thanks for reading.

Peace and love 🙏