8 Military-Tested Tricks to Conquer Your Greatest Fears

Worried about that presentation you have to give to the boss? Stressing over an upcoming job interview? Freaking out about that arbitrarily important rap battle that will determine whether or not you can move out of your mom’s trailer and become a real star? Don’t worry. According to former SEAL Platoon Commander James Waters, the key to losing yourself in the moment is to devote as much of your energy as possible to preparation: “We spend 75% of our time preparing for deployment and about 25% on the deployment.” SEALs rid fear from their minds by practicing an upcoming mission until they feel naturally confident about it—until that unknown becomes, well, a little more known. They don’t lie to themselves about the risks, they simply put themselves in the best position to handle them, which inspires confidence. Credit: Flickr/Marines