Amid danger, how can we be watcful without being fearful?

How to Be Watchful Without Being Fearful

In today’s perilous world, it’s natural to feel fearful amidst pandemics and other dangers. But how can we stay alert and cautious without becoming overwhelmed by fear?

1. Help Yourself First

The first principle is that not even God can help us if we don’t help ourselves. Yes, the world has many serious problems. But even if God wants to help, we must seek that help. We must be receptive. In that sense, we are our most fundamental resource. If we lose ourselves — if we become hopeless, passive, or self-destructive — then even divine help may not reach us effectively.

That’s why we must ensure we are not working against ourselves. Krishna states in the Gita (6.5):
“Elevate yourself with yourself, do not degrade yourself with yourself. The self is the friend and the enemy of the self.”

One way to understand this is by imagining there are two people within us — ourselves and our mind. The mind often behaves like a separate person who speaks to us — and sometimes it can be abusive.

2. Don’t Tolerate Mental Abuse

Just as we wouldn’t let someone constantly insult or scare us externally, we shouldn’t passively accept such treatment from our mind either. If someone repeatedly said, “This will go wrong, that will go wrong,” we would eventually say, “Stop! Why are you scaring me?”

Such people are called alarmists — those who constantly imagine and promote doomsday scenarios. If we wouldn’t associate with such people outside, why tolerate that behavior inside? If we allow our mind to keep scaring us, we disempower ourselves in the present while worrying about a future that hasn’t come.

3. Understand the Limits of Fear

Fear and stress can sometimes make us more alert — that’s the effect of hormones like adrenaline. But if we rely constantly on such tension to stay alert, we will eventually burn out. Living on constant adrenaline is unsustainable.

To stay strong and resourceful in facing problems, we need to silence or sideline that inner alarmist. But since we cannot literally silence our inner voice, what can we do?

4. Redirect Your Attention

Imagine being in a room with someone who won’t stop talking. We may not be able to gag them, but we can focus on something engaging and purposeful — a book, a task, a creative hobby. Gradually, their chatter fades into the background. Similarly, when we get absorbed in something meaningful, our mind’s anxious voice loses its grip on us.

5. Productive Engagement is the Key

Psychologists have found that people worry the most not at a particular time of day, but during times when they have nothing to do. When we finish our work and think, “Now I’ll relax,” that’s often when worries start flooding in. Therefore, we should keep ourselves productively engaged — not necessarily overworking, but planning even our relaxation purposefully.

When we are engaged in something meaningful, we naturally become less vulnerable to our mind’s endless chatter.

6. Journaling: Channeling Inner Chaos

What about real problems? What if the mind keeps saying, “What about this? What about that?”

A powerful tool is journaling. I have a full seminar on “Journaling for Self-Improvement and Self-Understanding” available on the Govardhan Eco Village website. But here’s a brief idea:

• Write down your fears.
  You might wonder — won’t that increase my fear? Not necessarily. When thoughts keep circling in the mind, it creates mental congestion. Writing them down helps vent and externalize them.
• Take a break.
  After writing, do some deep breathing, prayer, or chanting. Later — maybe after a few hours or a day — come back and read what you’ve written.
• Analyze rationally.
  Some fears are real — write down what you’re doing to address them.
  Some are exaggerated — acknowledge that and let them go.
  Example:
  “What if I fall sick?” → “I have insurance, I’m eating healthy, and I’m taking precautions.”

By converting irrational monologue into a rational dialogue, we empower ourselves.

7. Prepare — Don’t Panic

When we do this regularly, the next time fear arises, we’re not helpless. We can respond:
“Yes, this could go wrong. And here’s what I’ve done to prepare for it.”

Thus, we stop being passive recipients of the mind’s monologue and start engaging with it constructively.

8. Find the Balanced Middle

We must avoid both extremes:

• Neglecting all problems — that’s foolish recklessness.
• Obsessing over every potential danger — that’s paralyzing anxiety.

The healthy balance is preparedness — thinking ahead, identifying potential dangers, and taking tangible steps to handle them.