Caro Ryan looks at the irrational fears holding people back from venturing into the outdoors.
As the Blue Mountains autumn sun pours in my window, my fingers hover over the keyboard and I hope not to find myself in the grip of graphophobia (fear of writing) or logophobia (fear of words). That could spell disaster… and a very short column this month. For fear can be an intensely powerful emotion and like so many things in life, it has both a positive and negative side. It can be a force for good, warning us to actual danger, sparking the primeval fight or flight response, or we can get caught up in it’s dark side, living in the shadow of perceived danger.
The phrases, ‘in the grip of fear’ or ‘gripped by fear’, speak of it in a very physical sense. It draws a picture of being held back or restrained by this emotion, as though it’s a dark character from a Stephen King novel – foreboding and controlling – it’s heavy hand around your wrist. If you were to ask people if they’re controlled by anyone, they’re likely to look at you somewhat strangely, laugh and perhaps say, ‘The bank manager who demands I go to work’.
But when it comes to spending time outdoors, on a bushwalk or a multi-day hike, it’s amazing how our lives can be controlled by fear. Where opportunities for wonderment, adventure, connection and experiencing beauty (all positive things), can be quashed by not actual danger, but perceptions of danger.
There’s the obvious ones like arachnophobia (spiders), entomophobia (insects - I’ll put leeches in here) and ophidiophobia (snakes), but dig a little deeper and it’s as though the boogey man from Stephen King is lurking at the edge of the bush. To do what exactly? I’m not sure.
One of the most common fears that I had to deal with in regards to multi-day walks, was getting up to pee in the middle of the night. I used to restrict my fluid intake from about 5pm onwards, even avoiding a warming soup for entree, just so I could sleep through. When I did wake up, the struggle would begin. Bing! Awake. Damn. Rollover and try to get back to sleep. Bing! Awake again, the pressure has increased. Snooze fitfully and continue to rotisserie in the sleeping bag. Bing! Ouch, pain, cramping. Must. Go. Now.
But what exactly was I afraid of out there, outside my tent?
It wasn’t until I told myself that going to the loo at night in the bush, is no different to going to the loo at home, that things started to improve. Not only that, but my mumbled mantra of positive self talk, “There’s nothing there at night that isn’t there in the day”, helped immensely. I dealt with my fear by recognising it for what it was (ie. only a perception) and countering it with reality.
Not only did I discover that the boogey man is not out there, but I also found that there are so many benefits to a good night-time pee:
* You can enjoy soup with dinner
* You can enjoy wine with dinner
* You can enjoy feeling properly hydrated all the time
* You can enjoy the privacy of peeing in the dark (no need to hide behind a tree!)
* You can switch off your head torch, gaze up at the night sky and feel the wonder of a ba-zillion stars, pouring their light down upon you. (Tip: It’s actually a good idea to turn off your torch when going to the loo so you don’t draw attention to yourself!)
* You can enjoy falling back to sleep without feeling like a doner kebab, going round and round in your bag, wishing morning to come.
Whatever your fear is, if you’ve got something holding you back from fully connecting with our incredible wild places, I encourage you to name it. Call it out for what it is. It could be fear of the unknown, fear of getting lost, fear of body odour (that’s bromidrosiphobia if you’re wondering), fear of getting dirty (mysophobia) or my personal favourite, blennophobia - the fear of slime.
Here’s a few tips to help deal with your outside fears.
* Call it out for what it is - It’s OK to feel fear, but it’s MORE than OK to feel brave.
* Name the fear
* How do I think this will hurt me?
* Is it real or perceived? Do some research, get the facts.
* Develop good, positive, fact driven self talk.
* Respond appropriately to reality, not perceptions (eg. if you’re afraid of snakes, wear gaiters and don’t walk in summer).
* Should it stop you from going bushwalking and having an amazing time connecting with nature and friends in the great outdoors? Hell, no!