• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • START HERE
  • BOOKS
  • SHOP
  • WORKSHOPS

ERIC KIM

BLOG

  • ARS BETA
  • WHY?
  • AMAZON

How to Conquer Anxiety

Portrait by Frank Steltzer

Dear friend,

I’ve always been a pretty brave person, but even now — I fall victim to anxiety.

Most of these anxieties are irrational. For example:

I. Fear of going bankrupt:

I grew up poor, with a dad who was a chronic gambler. He would gamble away the rent money. Therefore the lesson I learned as a child:

I better use the money I have now, or else my dad might find it and gamble it away.

Really sad: my mom put away maybe $200 into my savings account when I was 5 years old, hoping that one day it could be my college fund. When I was around 10 years old, my mom found out that it ‘mysteriously’ disappeared. My dad probably took that money to Reno (like the Las Vegas in California, which was closer to us, to gamble)

Anyways, growing up — I always had anxiety about money. My family wasn’t so poor that I went hungry, but I was always in fear whether we would be able to pay rent or not.

I remember when I was in high school, my sophomore year (I think 15 years old), my mom went to my room and said:

Eric, I want to let you know, your dad just gambled away the rent money. We might have to go into a homeless shelter next month. I think we will be OK, but I just wanted to let you know.

In one way — it was good. I learned to build a thick skin, and I was ready for shit to hit the fan whenever.

Yet, it was bad. I lived thinking that ‘Money was the root of all evil.’

II. Overcoming fear of going broke:

To overcome my anxiety of going broke, this is what I did:

  1. Cutting living expenses: Living below my means. Putting more cash into savings, to not have anxiety that I will go bankrupt. For example when Cindy and I were in Berkeley, we ‘downgraded’ from a 2-bedroom to a 1-bedroom subsidized university student housing. A lot less anxiety about paying rent.
  2. Eating minimum food: I know I can survive on eggs, water, and coffee. I often try to eat like I were in poverty, for less than $2 a day — to know that my fears of going bankrupt and dying are irrational.
  3. Hustle hard to make more money: Starting to build more of my personal empire, by valuing myself more, creating more value, and charging more money for my services.

Entrepreneurship 101

III. Anxiety of public speaking

I used to get anxiety (butterflies in stomach, cold sweats) before public speaking.

I overcome it by thinking to myself:

It really isn’t a big deal. Most people are going to not pay attention anyways, and get distracted on their phones.

By removing all pressure, I no longer had social anxiety of speaking in public.

I also have learned a good tip:

Before speaking and if you’re nervous, tell your audience: “I’m scared shitless — please forgive me for stuttering or mumbling.”

Then your audience will feel more compassion for you — and will actually be rooting for you to succeed.

Or by saying:

I don’t know about you … but… [public speaking scares the shit out of me.]

So in other words by prefacing ‘I don’t know about you, but…’ you will get the audience to be put in your shoes, to give you more of a more attentive audience, and more support.

IV. Anxiety over the future

The future seems bleak, with low employment rates, terrorism, unstable politics, blah blah blah.

For me, the best way to conquer anxiety:

Remind yourself: you will die. And everyone you love will die. And eventually, your grandchildren’s grandchildren will die.

Personally, I don’t believe in ‘heaven’ after I die. I believe in perhaps the ‘immortality of the soul’ — but it is a more abstract concept, like the ‘circle of life’ in the Lion King. My DNA, my bones, and my body will disintegrate into the earth — and perhaps some trees will use my nutrients to grow.

After I die, the only thing that will exist: the information I create (blog posts, books, videos, ideas), and the DNA information in my future children.

To embrace you are gonna die, and to not be afraid of death is the best way to conquer anxiety about the uncertain future.

As a suggestion, I recommend studying STOICISM.

Conclusion

Hanoi, 2017 #cindyproject

Anxiety is a part of daily life. No matter how hard you try, you will never remove it 100%. Just embrace it.

Another suggestion, when you feel anxious — re-interpret that emotion.

Re-interpret your anxiety as excitement and enthusiasm.

So before I do a public talk and I’m feeling anxious, I tell myself:

Eric, you’re not anxious or scared. You’re just very excited and enthusiastic about speaking!

This re-interpretation has empowered me.

BE STRONG,
ERIC


How to Channel Your Fear into Bravery in Street Photography

HOW TO MAKE FEAR YOUR SLAVE

How to Conquer Your Fears in Photography

How to Conquer Your Fears in Life


STOICISM

eric kim portrait by cindy

Become invincible:

  • How to Be Optimistic
  • Why I Don’t Take My Anger Seriously
  • HOW TO BECOME MORE POWERFUL
  • POSITIVITY.
  • HOW TO BECOME SUPERHUMAN
  • How to Give a Fuck Less
  • ALL IN.
  • Why I Cut My Dad Out of My Life.
  • Your iPhone Only Has 5% Battery Left.
  • How not to give a FUCK about your REPUTATION
  • WHAT IS A HUMAN?
  • HAPPINESS.
  • The Regret Minimization Framework in Photography and Life
  • How to Be a HERO
  • Conquer Your Fears by Making Fear Your Slave
  • Rule Circumstances; Don’t Let Your Circumstances Rule You
  • How to Love Yourself
  • How to Turn Shit into Gold
  • Your Parents Fuck You Up
  • Immortality
  • What Kills You Makes You Stronger
  • How to Be Patient
  • How to Conquer Anger
  • How to Bounce Back in Life
  • How to Overcome Resistance
  • Nothing Unlimited is Good; Nothing Good is Unlimited
  • You Have No Limits
  • Can 1’s and 0’s Hurt You?
  • The Envious Moment is Flying Now
  • Tomorrow We’ll Sail the Wide Seas Again
  • How to Forgive Others
  • Focus on Your Actions, Not the Results
  • Everything Will Be Alright
  • How to Be a Stoic Street Photographer
  • How to Be a Spartan Photographer
  • How to Overcome Your Fears in Life
  • How to Stop Worrying in Life
  • How to Use Photography as Self-Therapy
  • How to Free Your Soul From Disturbance
  • 3 Stoic Techniques that Can Help You Gain Tranquility
  • Can People Weaker than You Hurt You?
  • Does a Doctor Get Angry at a Crazy Patient?
  • Own Nothing

The Stoic Masters

eric kim photography black and white hanoi-0009910

Learn from the master stoics:

  • Seneca
  • Marcus Aurelius
  • Epictetus
  • Publilius Syrus
  • Heraclitus

See all philosophy >

HENRI SHOULDER STRAP

Film Leica MP x Henri Shoulder Strap (CREMA BROWN)

Supreme >


Street Photography Starter Kit

street photography starter kit by ERIC KIM

Master street photography >


HENRI WRIST STRAP PRO

Henri wrist strap pro

For the pros >

Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Photography Entrepreneurship

My brand-new Udemy Course, "Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Photography Entrepreneurship" now live!

Seize your destiny >


Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Mastering Photography

eric kim ultimate beginners guide to mastering photography udemy

Master photography >

ERIC KIM WORKSHOPS

red hand ERIC KIM

Unleash your creative potential:

2021:

  • April 10-11th, 2021: BOSTON / Discover Your Unique Voice in Photography Workshop [Register Intent Here]
  • May 1-2nd, 2021: CHICAGO / Street Photography Composition Masterclass [Register Intent Here]
  • May 22-22nd, 2021: NEW YORK CITY / STREET PHOTOGRAPHY MASTERCLASS by ERIC KIM [Register Intent Here]

Be notified of when new workshops are live here.


ERIC KIM NEWSLETTER

Free Motivation for You >







JOIN ARS: The Anti-Social Media for Photographers

Ars black logo

 

Get real feedback on your photos on ARSBETA.COM

WHY APP?

zen of ERIC KIM why app icon

Never stop asking why?

PHANTOM BLACK HENRI WRIST STRAP

Shoot like a ghost >


STREET NOTES

Never hit the streets without it >


FILM NOTES

Now is your time to (re)learn film >

HENRI WRIST STRAP

The classic CREMA BROWN >

CREATIVE EVERY DAY

Create every day >


PHOTO JOURNAL

Photo Journal Print Edition

Discover more personal meaning in your photography >

OPEN-SOURCE