Face Your Fear of Thunderstorms

It is a primal fear, that feeling of fear that creeps over one in the face of raw thunder. The sound sends a chill down to the very marrow of your bones, splitting asunder your usually calm exterior and leaving you trembling, afraid, and in need of flight. To cope with your fear of thunderstorms, learn the following techniques and stop dreading the next storm.

Steps

Understanding thunderstorms

  1. Do some research on thunderstorms. If you do your research, you'll find that thunderstorms aren't as scary as they seem. Few accidents as a result of lightning strikes occur, especially for those indoors. Lightning will always strike the nearest electrically conductible object in its vicinity, and if you're indoors, that is most definitely not you.
  2. Be informed. Watch a local weather channel and see how strong the storm is and if it's moving out of your area.

Getting support

  1. Get reassurance from your friends and family. If they tell you there's nothing to be afraid of, then believe them. It's true. Remember, it's just a bunch of noise that seems like it's trying to scare you. If you fall for it, you'll just get more and more scared every time.
  2. Speak to a loved one. Find someone who will stay up with you all night just to comfort you. This could be a family member, a friend, even your boyfriend or your girlfriend. Just be sure to choose someone who doesn't mind thunderstorms! They will distract you from the thunder and can keep reassuring you.
    • If they are having to cope with it too, then you can be thunder buddies reassuring each other as much as yourself. Everyone is afraid of something, even if they act brave all the time.
  3. Don't be afraid to climb into bed with another family member. It's nothing to be ashamed of, they will know why you are scared. Alternatively, make a den under the quilt of your bed or pull blankets over your head.
  4. Call someone if you're alone. Talk to them to try to calm down. If your heart is beating fast, talk together about happy moments.
  5. Cuddle up with a favorite stuffed animal or blanket. They always make you feel better and will make you feel safe.
  6. If going to school when a thunderstorm is about to happen, walk with a friend. They will keep you company and hopefully cheer you up!

Distracting yourself

  1. Distract yourself from the loud noises and bright flashes. Find a place to do something you love like reading a book or watching TV.
  2. Use your imagination. Imagine that the lightning is just lights coming from a party in the sky. Picture the thumping of feet on the ground from the dancing. Having a fun picture in your head makes thunder storms easier to bear. In fact, you might actually start to like them!
    • Thunder may sound scary right? Well it's just a bunch of noise outside your window. Thunderstorms aren't really scary; they just sound scary. Think of them as a person and they are really annoying, and what do you do to people that are really annoying? You ignore them, so do that to the thunderstorms.
    • Pretend the lightning is just party lights and the thunder is banging footsteps from dancing.
  3. Make a mix of songs you like that you think can help you relax during a thunderstorm. Burn them on to a CD or your iPod/MP3 Player. If possible, wear headphones. You can turn it up so that it blocks out the noise of the storm, but don't have it blasting in your ear. Ask someone to stand {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} away from you. If they can hear the music coming from your headphones, then it's too loud. If it truly means enough to you, you can buy noise-canceling headphones that allow you to tune out the outside world and listen to your favorite jams at the same time.

Blocking the noise and light

  1. Try blocking out the noise with something. For example: Use a blanket over your head or place headphones over your ears with music. Or, if you are really that bothered, get earplugs for your ears; they work just as well.
  2. Try to find something to block out the light. For example, use something like a scarf over your eyes, to block out the lightning.
  3. Shut your windows and try to think about happy things. Play music, if possible.

Tips

  • If you have a friend, sister or brother with you during the thunderstorm, create a small tent using blankets and pillows, it will keep you distracted and then go inside the tent with snacks, stuffed animals, computer/phone/ iPod, music, books, and a flash light. Turn off all the lights and turn on the flash light and pretend to be camping! You will feel safe inside your small little home.
  • Cuddle with your old stuffed animal and huddle in your quilt. If this isn't enough watch a movie! An old one you haven't watched in a long time. Wear headphones if necessary.
  • Know that rain is just water. The worst that lightning could do to you indoors is illuminating the room. Buildings (especially multi-story buildings) are made to withstand lightning strikes. Thunder is the sound of air expanding due to the heat of a lighting strike. You can feel thunder because of the super low-frequency sound it makes by vibrating the air, much like being at a concert and you can feel the bass.

Warnings

  • Never become careless. If a thunderstorm strong enough to cause destruction comes your way, be prepared to take measures to stay safe. If you hear a siren coming from outside, you need to get into your basement or bathroom. Try to stay away from windows.
  • Thunderstorms often come with lightning, which is sometimes fatal when struck; if you are caught outside when you hear the thunder, run to a shelter (your house or your car).
  • If you have a kid that is not afraid, don't try to scare him/her ex. A thunderstorm is coming!! Go to sleep! Your child might develop fear or even worse,phobia.

Things You'll Need

  • A stuffed animal
  • Research
  • A Flashlight
  • Radio (In Case Power Goes Out)

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