Winter 2011
EVENTS

Dance with Your Fears

Coping with Crisis

Dr. Eran Chajut of the University's Department of Education and Psychology, in a recent conference held at the Open University, explained why we need to learn how to be afraid: "Because fear is a fundamental and vital emotion, we cannot escape it. So, if we do not want to be governed by it we need to learn how to be afraid. To learn not to be afraid, we must learn how to be afraid."

Fears, anxieties, stress – let's face it, they are with us every day of our lives. No one is immune. All of us are fearful of something – heights, elevators, snakes or spiders. How many times have we experienced anxiety before an interview, a public presentation, an exam? Or have broken out in a sweat, our body shaking, our vision seemingly impaired? No matter our financial status, religious beliefs, age or geographic location, fears are something that accompany us throughout our lives.

Dr. Eran Chajut, lecturer in the Open University's Department of Education and Psychology, teaches a number of courses, including "Cognition and Anxiety" and has done research and written extensively on issues related to anxiety. His approach to dealing with fear, stress, anxiety, trauma and any variations thereof, is, well, quite original. "Because fear is a fundamental and vital emotion, we cannot escape it. So, if we do not want to be governed by it we need to learn how to be afraid. To learn not to be afraid, we must learn how to be afraid," he posits.

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