The way I distinguish between the two is by asking myself two important questions: 

Question 1: How likely is this to happen? 

Of course, most things we fear are real and possible. Bridges collapse, cars collide, people are getting attacked and or bullied, airplanes crash every day.

But I ask myself: what are the chances of it happening to me? 

Usually, the answer is: “nearly zero.” 

This is the same reason why I don’t play the lottery. Sure, it is possible to win, but what are the odds? They’re stacked heavily against you. So, why expect to win? 

Sure, airplanes crash, but when I’m boarding an airplane I ask myself: what makes you so special that YOUR airplane will crash? 

If you look at death and injury statistics you will see that flying is one of the safest forms of transportation. You’re much more likely to be injured while driving or even riding a bicycle. 

As SBS News Australia points out: 

Statistically speaking, flying on a commercial airliner is the safest form of transport there is, according to the US National Safety Council.
There are a range of estimates out there, but based on its analysis of US Census data, it puts the odds of dying as a plane passenger at 1 in 205,552. That compares with odds of 1 in 4,050 for dying as a cyclist; 1 in 1,086 for drowning, and 1 in 102 for a car crash.

SBS News Australia

Watch this video for more information on that: 

So, if you look at the statistics of injury or death, you will see that you’re much more likely to suffer from a daily activity you don’t even think about. 

So, why would you let your fears control you and imprison you in your own mind? 

Question 2: Am I in immediate danger?

If you have time to think about this question, most likely you’re not in any immediate danger. 

Humans, when faced with immediate danger, know it immediately. We experience fight-flight-freeze (3F) response. 

If your mind knows that you’re NOT in any immediate danger, yet you are experiencing the 3F response, then you need to take control over the situation by using anxiety fighting techniques that I talk about in my free guide titled: “7 Most Effective Ways to Outsmart Anxiety Today” that you can find here: http://www.outsmartanxiety.com

Anxiety can make us feel scared when there’s no real reason to be. But knowing how unlikely these fears are can help us deal with them better.

Sources:

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/how-safe-is-flying-heres-what-the-statistics-say/knzczab06

https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/all-injuries/preventable-death-overview/odds-of-dying/