Why are people afraid of heights?
In general terms, fear of heights can be seen as a natural and adaptive mechanism that prevents people from exposing themselves to potentially dangerous situations. Thus, having a natural respect is quite desirable in terms of longevity.
Of course, we're not talking about a fear that limits you in everyday activities. Such fear can then be caused by an unpleasant experience (for example, an accident), or it can be a learned behaviour where you pick up fear from the patterns of your family or loved ones. Last but not least, an unreasonable fear of heights can also be caused by an imbalance of chemicals in the brain, resulting in a higher tendency to fear and anxiety.
The first step to overcoming.
The first step to overcoming a fear of heights (or the fear of flying that goes hand in hand with it) is to understand what triggers this fear. Are you afraid of falling? Are you afraid of losing control? Or is it the dizziness of looking down? Becoming aware of the specific aspects of your fear can be the key to managing it.
Depending on the level of fear, it is then useful to determine what solution is best for you. If you really do have a phobia over which you have no control (yet), the best thing to do is to choose therapy and follow the advice of a professional. If your fear of heights is only limiting and not causing you any trauma, you can deal with it on your own. It's up to you whether you take it one step at a time, or whether exposure therapy, where you give your scarecrow a good look.
Fight fear in virtual reality
You don't have to skydive to overcome your fear of heights. A great way to fight your fear is through virtual reality, where you can meet it in a completely safe environment.
You don't have to buy virtual reality right away, just rent it for a few days at home. Among the 25 games you'll find games like The Climb, where you'll climb rocks on a number of continents, or you can try base jumping with Rush.
You can also put virtual reality on your eyes in the wind tunnel in Prague. Here you can sail over Manhattan or skydive over the Spanish coast.
Try experiences that are completely safe
If you want to combat your fear of heights in the real world, we recommend starting with a scenic balloon ride. It flies slowly and offers such beautiful views that you may well forget you're scared (author's note: I'm terrified of heights myself, and while I found the balloon ride a little more adrenaline-filled than others, the experience is so relaxing that the edges soon wear off and there's time to enjoy).
To overcome the fear of heights, it's also great to start climbing. There's certainly no need to head for the rocks right away, where the danger is greater and quite real. Climbing on an artificial wall is perfectly safe (if you go with someone experienced who can teach you everything, or invest in a climbing course) and you can overcome your fears gradually. You don't have to climb all the way up right away, just each to the best of your ability.
Your confidence will get stronger with each successive trip and after a while you will get used to heights, or at least they won't upset you as much as in the beginning (author's note: I cried on the wall for the first time, now it's been 4 years and I'm baked on the wall. Although the fear has never gone away, it is not paralyzing).
Alternatively, try bouldering, which is one of the most popular forms of climbing at the moment - the wall is lower and you fall into the soft stuff. Sometimes you need to push your head a little too, but gradually you will tame the fear and control it, not the other way around.
Go for it headfirst
Remember how we said you don't have to skydive right away to conquer fear? You don't have to, but that doesn't mean you can't. Tandem skydiving is one of the safest sports ever. And not just across the adrenaline sports. You're in more danger in basketball, for example.
You'll be pleased to know that you'll be flying a plane up to a height of around 3-4 kilometres, which is high enough to avoid dizziness. Doesn't that make sense? From that height, our brains can't make direct visual contact with objects on the ground and height is not perceived as a threat. Moreover, in such an experience you overcome two fears at once: both the fear of heights and the fear of flying.
If you don't have to have it all at once, paragliding is a great way to overcome your fear of heights. In paragliding, you don't soar high in an airplane, but rise from the ground using a special wing and gain height gradually. What's more, it's a much calmer experience, where you're treated to views that can do without the brutal adrenaline rush of a minute-long freefall.
So now you know how to overcome your fear of heights?
Something different applies to everyone, just don't be discouraged by setbacks, after all, fear lives with you for many years, it can take more than an afternoon to tame it. The main thing is to start. So let's do it.
