5 strategies for conquering fear and anxiety, from one of the most successful self-help authors in history

He is one of the most influential authors in the self-improvement industry, and the creator of the book  "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living", which deals with tactics for liberating yourself from nagging anxieties that make you less happy and less productive.

When worries overwhelm you:

1. Ask yourself what's the worst that could possibly happen. 
2. Prepare to accept the worst.
3. Figure out how to improve upon the worst, should it come to pass.

• You can pretend that you're gathering this data for someone else, so you're distancing yourself emotionally  from the process.
• You can pretend that you're a lawyer who is preparing to argue the other side of the issue — so you gather all the facts against yourself. Write down the facts on both sides of the case and you'll generally get a clearer picture of the truth.

Replace worry with action. Answer these questions:

1. What is the problem? 
2. What is the cause of the problem? 
3. What are all possible solutions of the problem? 
4. What solution do you suggest?

It  refers to the probability of a specific event occurring. Chances are good that whatever you're worried about isn't likely to actually happen.

This strategy is based on a principle in stock trading:  Say you buy a stock that sells for 100 dollars a share and set a stop-loss order for 90 dollars a share. As soon as that stock dips to 90 dollars a share, you sell it — no questions asked.