How do you overcome fear of losing rating?

Better safe than sorry I suppose

I haven't read all the replies, but here's my advice:

Stop thinking of your rating as something you "worked hard for" and can't bear to lose. Instead, think of it purely as a tool used to match you with other players of around your level, to ensure you get to play really interesting, enjoyable games, instead of getting crushed or just crushing someone yourself. You'll probably then be able to learn heaps from analysing those games (especially the losses where you lose rating), and paradoxically your rating will start rising as you learn these important lessons.

Chess players have bots.

Boxers have punching bags.

Good one 🙃

Although I am not Buddhist, I understand that they teach adherents to not have attachment.  For example, to not be attached to one's rating.

Also, on a completely unrelated note, there is great exhilaration in upsetting a much higher rated opponent who obsesses over his or her rating.

One time I beat a player rated 400 points higher than me in an OTB tournament in the first round.  He promptly withdrew from the tournament in disgust despite paying the healthy entry fee.

At least they didn't take it out on the opponent. That would have been bonkers.

Rating on Chess.com and other online services are subjective; they are simply grades. They are based on your ability to play to a standard, which in turn, uses matching algorithms to ensure you play against people of a similar standard. If you keep winning, your standard gets higher. If you lose, it gets lower. Online Elo is not tangible. Unfortunately, the stress of gaining and losing online ratings is real. It's comparable to gaming. You must achieve to feel good. Online we begin to believe that we are playing for real-life honors; the objective is genuine and has substance. When in fact, we are just chasing a fictitious target that has no real meaning other than the story we have concocted in our heads. Glory days...

When we compete for official ratings, 50 OTB games may take years. I can play 50 rapid games in days on here and make significant gains in rating. But, unfortunately, I can also lose a large portion of those gains during the following days. The trick is to understand that online chess is an enjoyable pastime, and yes, sometimes it's high pressure, yet we are not competing for official accreditation to become masters. Looking at the leaderboard for rapid, someone is over 3000. That rating is only available through playing lots of games and winning more than losing. That volume is not achievable OTB

How many of the 10 million chess.com patrons are currently seeking an actual Elo rating by competing OTB.

If the internet died today. How many would seek out a local club and play weekend tournaments?

It's online and a game, not to be taken seriously... Unless you are one of the few thousand that reached the lofty heights of 2500+ and you are making a living selling a dream.

Selling the Dream

When it’s available for Free

Realise that ur rating doesn't matter and ur just a casual player on a chess site. 

The topic is how to realize

I understand that the OP knows he needs to realize his rating is not of great import ... but it’s a difficult task to accomplish. Can’t just say realize this or that- but the gut of the issue is ... How to achieve? What’s the 1st step? People for reason desire a change in mindset. But what or where is the road map?

Ok... I'll do your best...?

Don't lose

stop trying to sound philosophical and smart.

It's a simple issue. Grow up.

It's just a chess.com rating. If you place importance on a rating that's not even accurate in the first place then you have no hope in enjoying anything remotely competitive in life

Ok madame

I agree, generally I play my best when I get into a rhythm and everything seems to flow. It's the most fun for me then. I increase my rating to get better opponents so I have to get better in return and experience more of those moments.

Chess elo rating shows how good a person is compared to other people. For example, if a chess site only hosted grandmasters, and everyone started at 800, there probably wouldn't be anyone to even breach 2000 rating.

I think the fear that paralyzes me is the fear of blundering. When I lose it's my own doing, and when I win it's generally because my opponent didn't catch my blunders. When I'm in such a state the only way for me to come back is to work on my openings and study positional problems, maybe play some bots or Lichess, so that I'm eager and excited to play a serious game.

Stop caring about your rating. Just play the position at hand to the best of your ability. If you win great, and If you lose there's a learning opportunity from your mistakes. If you truly care about improving, then rating shouldn't matter. Study, train, and the rating will follow.