For people who have fears or phobias, psychologists now have modern treatment in addition to psychotherapy. They use virtual reality to help people combat anxiety.
If you are afraid of crowds, you will be placed in a virtual situation where you will be surrounded by people, and this will help you face your fears and overcome them.
We found that our fears don’t always need treatment, as they can actually help us in many ways. Let’s take a look at how a reasonable portion of fear can help us prosper in life.
6. Fear Helps You To Lose Weight
Feeling a little scared burns more calories than when you are not afraid of anything. As our pulse speeds up, our bodies experience a rush of adrenaline.
Our metabolism speeds up and sugar and fat are burned in the process. In one study, physiologists at the University of Westminster in London found that when people watched horror movies, such as The Shining or The Exorcist, they burned up to 113 calories, which is the same amount they would burn in a half-hour walk.
5. Fear Boosts Your Immune System
In some surveys conducted by Coventry University in the UK, participants watched a horror movie. The researchers then collected blood samples from these people.
The results showed that a feeling of fear triggered the activation of his white blood cells. These are the types of cells that help you fight disease and repair your body.
The more white blood cells you have, the stronger your immune system will be.
4. Fear Gives You A Sense Of Empowerment And Strong Motivation
Not only is adrenaline released when you are afraid, but also other chemicals, such as serotonin. It helps the brain to function more efficiently, so fear is actually energy.
For example, if you are a runner and you follow the same route every day, you will quickly get used to it, but when you find a new place where you will be a little scared and really need to focus, your brain will start working at its best. Our brain craves new challenges.
3. Fear Bonds You To Other People
When it scares you, oxytocin is released, a hormone that helps you build relationships with the people around you. We all have the instinct for survival and that leads us to pair up with other humans to overcome danger.
A perfect example of this is when people snuggle up on the couch while watching a horror movie.
2. It Gives You Focus And Concentration
Thinking about the future or something unknown can be enough to scare you. If you’re feeling a little worried or anxious about this, along with the adrenaline that keeps us stressed, another hormone known as norepinephrine is released, keeping you focused instead of panicking.
It allows clearer thinking in stressful situations, which is why it is used in many antidepressants.
We live in a world of constant distractions, like watching TV or browsing the web, and a little fear helps us to be fully awake and focused.
1. Fear Helps Us Quickly Get Out Of Trouble
When we cross a poorly lit street at night or hear footsteps behind us, we don’t spend much time thinking about our future actions: we start walking faster and try to get to our safe destination sooner.
Fear forces the brain to react immediately and find a solution, rather than wasting time doing a detailed analysis of a situation.
What fear or phobia do you have? How do you fight it?
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