Stop Thinking About Scary Things

Fear is your brain's pre-programmed response to something scary.[1] It is completely natural for a spooky thought or image to be imprinted in your head, and make it hard for you to sleep. Small amounts of fear are positive for your health, but when it takes over it can interfere with your peace and happiness. Whether you're afraid because of a movie, a natural disaster, or even spiders, there are ways of coping.

Steps

Distracting Yourself

  1. Watch a comedy movie. The human brain will remember recent images best. Having a good laugh can help by "overwriting" the memory of your scary thoughts.[2]
    • You could also watch a light-hearted television show.
  2. Do something relaxing. Paint your nails, give yourself a spa day, or just go and hang out with your friends. A large process of unwinding from feelings of fear is by relaxing your mind. Take a relaxing bath. This will soak your mind into a state of meditation. Try setting the mood with candles and bath soaps for better relaxation.[3]
  3. Read a light-hearted book. Focusing on the lighter subject material in the book, even for a little while, will help distract your thoughts from those that have been scaring you. You could even read a book that is meant for younger audiences.
  4. Do something artistic. If you like coloring then you should draw! Make something you enjoy. Doing art can even help channel your scary thoughts into something expressive. The creative process is known to cause happiness.[4]
    • You could even write a poem if you enjoy writing.
  5. Listen to music. You can listen to anything that you enjoy. Classic rock or the latest pop song should get you going. For even better results, try dancing for fun to the music.[5]
  6. Treat yourself. Go out and get some take-out food or have a pizza delivered to your house. Satisfying your palate releases serotonin into your brain. This is a chemical process that happens in your brain which causes happy feelings.
  7. Think about something mundane. Think about what happened that was funny today. Think about how small you are in this world. Try zoom outside yourself up into space where you are simply a small dot on a series of larger dots. Your fear might feel irrelevant afterwards.
  8. Picture a place you feel safe. Clear your mind of unwanted images by filling it with images you do want. Think about the last time you went to Disneyland. If you have access to photographs of one of these times, then look at them and put yourself back into that environment. Remember the sights, sounds, smells, and the warm feeling of being safe.
  9. Be with someone. Sleep with a parent, brother or sister to help you feel not alone. It helps if there is someone you love and feel comfortable with around.
  10. Be with a pet. Animals can help you forget the scary thoughts. Dogs especially have a therapeutic effect on the human brain.[6] Try playing with them. Their happiness will rub off on you.

Doing Physical Activity

  1. Practice a light exercise. A good way of cleansing your emotional state is by exerting yourself physically.[7] You don't need to go to the gym. Simply do a quick weightless exercise:
    • 10 reps of push-ups
    • 30 reps of crunches
    • 20 jumping jacks
    • Rest for five minutes and repeat
  2. Go for a run. One of the most therapeutic activities you can do to yourself is to go out on a run. Getting your cardiovascular system going will help clear some of your scary thoughts.[2]
  3. Play a sport with friends. This activity should help you twice as much. You are surrounding yourself with people and exerting yourself physically. Try whatever sport you like to play with your friends, whether it's football, soccer, basketball, or whatever.
  4. Practice Yoga. Yoga requires you to control your breathing and send it to different parts of the body. Doing this as a way of coping with scary things, can be very therapeutic. Going to a yoga class will improve your technique and help center yourself into a peaceful environment.

Managing Your Fear

  1. Examine what's scaring you. Take some time to determine what it is that is scaring you. A lot of time people know exactly what is scaring them, but others are unclear what the root of their fear is. Try writing out a list of thoughts that are troubling you.
  2. Take deep breaths. Relaxing your mood is an important step into reaching a more peaceful state. Hysterical moods are not healthy and can even further your state of fear. A good way to calm yourself is to take deep breathes. You'll want to be calm in order to better face what is scaring you.
  3. Ask yourself questions. Write out a few questions, reflect on them, and try to fill in a response. Try these questions:
    • What am I afraid of?
    • Is this realistic?
    • What is the worst that could happen?
    • Where do I feel fear in my body?[8]
  4. Draw what's scaring you. If you have a tangible fear like a character from a horror movie, a spider, or whatnot, try drawing it. You can print out an image from the internet and try to draw it. Spending a prolonged period of time with your phobia will help you get past feeling afraid of it.[9]
  5. Expose yourself. Avoiding what is scaring you can take on a worse outcome than your initial feelings of fear. Before seeking outside help, stand up to your fear and welcome it. It will be challenging, but doing this could help you place things into perspective.[10]
  6. Be patient. Dealing with your fear can take a long time to truly overcome, but with persistent work, you can overcome it. Rely on a simple set of exercises to solve your issue: patience, persistence, education, and being committed.[11]
  7. Seek professional help. If you find these thoughts to persist you may need extra help from a professional. Some fears aren't caused by a scary movie, but rather caused from an unknown source about something irrational. This type of fear is better treated with medicine or support from a therapist.

Tips

  • If none of these things work, talk to someone about something happy or sad to get your mind kind off the scary things.
  • Watch TV. It will take your mind off it.
  • If you are afraid that something is in the hall or a dark spot, look straight at it and smile. It will help you feel confident and safe.
  • Struggling with fear is part of the human condition.
  • Play a game on Xbox or computer.
  • Sleep with a teddy; it will be your bodyguard and you will feel better.
  • If your parents won't let you sleep with them, get a stuffed animal that you have had and just lay with it.
  • Play or talk with your family members for a while.
  • Play a song in your mind when it's quiet at night, it'll divert your attention.
  • Put on your nightlight when it's night.
  • Try and not watch anything scary because it might pop up on your recommendations while you are watching Youtube at night.

Warnings

  • If you experience this problem repeatedly after watching scary movies, horror films may not be the right kind of genre for you.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/factoring-fear-what-scares/
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://happy.guide/2008/09/01/scary-movie/
  3. ↑ http://solutionsforseniors.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=50:gayle-horton&catid=4&Itemid=5
  4. ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/arts-and-health/201109/art-and-happiness
  5. ↑ http://www.healthpronet.org/ahp_month/04_05.html
  6. ↑ http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/12/121221-comfort-dogs-newtown-tragedy-animal-therapy
  7. ↑ http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/04/06/exercise-therapy-for-depression/12627.html
  8. ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-mindful-self-express/201212/ten-skills-manage-fear-and-anxiety-in-unsafe-world
  9. ↑ http://viewonbuddhism.org/fear.html
  10. ↑ http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/Pages/overcoming-fears.aspx
  11. ↑ http://www.ahna.org/Resources/Publications/eNewsletter/Managing-Your-Fears-Anxieties-and-Stresses
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