Small Things, Big Fears: Confronting the Fear of Small Things

Are you afraid of small things? Maybe it’s spiders, or needles, or even just tiny cracks in the pavement. Whatever your fear may be, it’s important to confront it head-on. But how do we conquer our fears when they seem so insignificant? Let’s dive into the world of small fears and find out.

The Science Behind It All

Fear is a natural human response that triggers an automatic “fight-or-flight” reaction within us. It’s meant to protect us from danger and keep us safe. However, sometimes our brains can perceive even harmless stimuli as threats, leading to irrational fears.

Studies have shown that people with phobias tend to overestimate the threat level of their feared objects. Basically – they blow things way out of proportion! This overestimation is exaggerated by emotions like anxiety and stress which cause a physical sensation known as “hypervigilance”. Being hypervigilant means that we’re constantly on high-alert for potential dangers – whether real or imaginary!

Size Doesn’t Matter

When it comes down to it – size really doesn’t matter! Whether you’re scared of houseflies or lions; both are equally valid fears because your mind perceives them as threats.

In fact “microphobia” (fear of small things) has been found in studies around the world to be one of the most common phobias among humans! So if you’re feeling alone in your fear – don’t worry –you’re not alone at all!

Tackling Your Fear Head-On

Distract Yourself

One helpful technique when confronting a fearful situation involves finding something else engaging enough where you shift focus away from what scares you.
Tip: Do something that requires your full attention such as solving puzzles word searches/taking up knitting..

Gradual Exposure

Another effective technique is gradual exposure, where you slowly but surely expose yourself to your fear. Start An example would be starting with looking at photos of your fear object before gradually elevating it to holding it.

Seek Help

If you’re struggling to overcome your fears on your own there’s no shame in that! Reach out for professional help -/they can assist or prescribe medications where need be.

Laughter Is the Best Medicine

Laughter has been proven many times over as an excellent way of combating anxiety and stress.
Tip: Watch some comedies (here are a few we recommend- “The Good Place”, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”, and “Parks and Recreation”).

It Will Get Better

It may not seem like it now, however with constant effort on focusing on overcoming this fear/phobia (this could take days, weeks or even months) so don’t get discouraged!

Dispelling Common Misconceptions

Small objects won’t crawl into our bodies

Many people suffer from delusions that if they come anywhere close enough – fearful small things [insects especially] have the tendency ‘crawling’ right into their bodily openings… which just isn’t true:

Small Things Crawl Inside Our Bodies?
Mites Yes
Ticks Yes
BUT
Rats No
Mice No

Not all spiders are poisonous

We tend as humans to let one bad experience hamstring our minds creating unnecessary phobias; most of the time harmless spiders become something much more sinister…inducing serious panic attacks etc. But what we forget is that there are over 200 species native spider types in any city!
Some such spider types include:

Wolf Spider

  • Can grow up to a couple inches-long[big]
  • Usually brownish-gray color
  • Shy creatures and will only bite humans when provoked
  • Have large eyes at the front-facing forward instead of to the sides

Orb Weaver Spider

  • Have flight patterns that look like irregular lines
  • Very common across small-town America
  • They are a garden friend working hard in mosquito control.

Remember – It’s important not to generalize an entire species based on one bad experience;

Small things aren’t always dangerous

Just because something is tiny doesn’t mean it should be feared all of a sudden! The majority of insects and bugs [our wormy friends included] don’t pose any threat whatsoever to us.
Ants – the ‘leaf-cutters’ have become well known or their amazing community-based architecture; they work ceaselessly to defend their territories while also managing aphids as cattle!

Wrap Up

Fearful situations can arrive unexpectedly but we shouldn’t let them get the best of us. With techniques such as distracting, gradually exposure, reaching out for help, laughter/funny scenarios & debunking disbelief’s/eliminating misconceptions we can begin our journey towards overcoming these little fears one at a time. As highlighted today- size really does not matter when comes down (whether big or small) anxiety is equally daunting/significant regardless.

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