Facing Fear: Understanding What Keeps You

Up at Night

By Maria Covinnie Martinez

It’s midnight, and you’re lying in bed as the silence presses down like a weight on your chest. It's a strange feeling, no? To feel so profoundly alone. We’ve all been in this place where our minds wander into hidden corridors we avoid in the noise of daily life. In that space, fears come to life. Fears we know well and fears we can’t even name. They press against us, begging to be acknowledged, but why does fear hold such a grip? 

Fear is deeply rooted in our biology. It’s the body’s way of alerting us to real or imagined threats, and it triggers our fight-or-flight response to keep us safe. But modern life complicates fear. Today, we’re often surrounded by abstract, existential worries—ones we can’t simply run from.

Remember those nights as a kid when every creak in the house sounded like a monster hiding in the closet? As we grow, those monsters leave the closet and find new, less visible hiding places. Our fears shift and deepen, taking on forms that lurk in the corners of our minds rather than under the bed. Teenagers lie awake worrying if they’re enough—smart, cool, just enough. As we enter adulthood, fears become worries about our futures, relationships, money, and, sometimes, the big unknowns about life itself. 

When left unchecked, these fears can impact our physical and mental health. Imagine a person lying awake at night, overwhelmed by worries that seem impossible to escape. This constant anxiety can lead to actual physical problems, such as a fast heartbeat, tense muscles, and stomach issues. Over time, these fears can drain a person’s energy and make it challenging to participate in daily activities or connect with others. This situation shows how closely linked our emotional struggles are to our physical health, emphasizing the need for effective coping strategies and support to reduce the adverse effects of unchecked fear.