30 Things We Only Do When We Are Scared
By Aaron Love
10 months ago
We Freeze In Place
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In the moment that one of us become extremely fearful we can often end up freezing in place, almost like we're part of a production. Our limbs can involuntarily freeze up which isn't great, especially if what has struck the fear in to you can cause any harm to your body.Start To Tremble
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When we become gripped by fear one of the most common occurrences that someone will begin to notice will be the trembling of our limbs or even entire body. This inability to keep still can become quite uncomfortable and it really shows us that our bodily nerves are on high alert.Heavy Sweating
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Another sure-fire way to show that we're scared or worried about something is if we begin to sweat profusely. Our palms, foreheads and even our entire body can become quickly covered in sweat and although it's just our body trying to cool down, it doesn't look great in formal settings like interviews.Tensed Muscles
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As I mentioned before, fear can end up freezing us in place. This is part of our body's ability to process fear which often starts with tensed muscles. The tensing of muscles might be part of a fight or flight response, either you're going to have to run or you might have to fight (physically or mentally!).Tense Our Fists
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It isn't just our muscles that tense when we begin to sense fear, but also our fists too. It's just a natural reaction as we want to hold on to something solid to offer some form of stability. People can often associate there tensed fists with being angry which isn't quite as true as you would think.An Increased Heart Rate
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The thumping of a heart might be a sound you already associate with the drumming of fear. Think horror films, when you hear a heartbeat in the background. Our heart rate will spike during periods of fear as adrenaline is pumped throughout our body, trying to prepare us for action.Hyperventilating
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Our heart rate isn't the only thing that goes into overdrive when we feel scared, we can also begin to breathe as if we've just ran an entire marathon. This rapid breathing is another staple to horror films and it's a natural reaction as our body tries to get the oxygen to travel to our brain faster.We Begin To Stress
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Unsurprisingly, hyperventilating and an increased heartrate can often lead to some people becoming very stressed. Whatever it is that we're fearful of can begin to make our stress levels rise through the roof. Pretty much, wherever fear is stress is pretty likely to be just around the corner.Our Pupils Can Dilate
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You probably don't realise this as we can't see our own eyes, but when you're scared your pupils will quickly dilate. They do this in order to take in some more light which can be beneficial in low-light. This is an evolutionary thing as we used to need to be able to see in the dark for survival.Seek Comfort From Friends Or Partner
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When we're scared, pretty much everyone will attempt to turn to our friends, family or partners to act as a support system. It might be that you need a reassuring hug, a cuddle or just any form of human connection to try and provide some form of safety and comfort in difficult situations.Start To Stutter
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Fear often has quite a sneaky way of interfering with our ability to communicate smoothly. We can begin to stumble over our words, stutter and even repeat some phrases over and over again. It's almost as if our tongue becomes as tangled up in our anxiety as much as the rest of our body.Get A Dry Mouth
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Fear often forces itself out of us by leaving our mouths feeling extremely dry. All of the moisture gets sucked from our mouth and leaves us feeling as though are mouth is a desert. This is actually a common side effect of anxiety so it's no surprise that it occurs when we're feeling frightened too.Feel Like We Are Going To Be Sick
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The feeling of nausea is quite a common occurrence when someone is left feeling a little ill. It can be quite the unwelcome guest but our stomach can begin attacking us from the inside with anxiety. It's quite rare that we actually end up throwing up, but it feels like it could be a possibility.Start Fidgeting
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Restlessness can also take over when we're feeling fearful. Like I said, our bodies can begin trembling uncontrollably and this can become even more obvious when we start fidgeting too. We could be tapping our fingers, bouncing our knees or twirling our hair to try and distract ourselves.Biting Our Nails
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Nervous habits often come up tenfold when that we're feeling scared, so you might realise that you're biting your nails in order to hide or mitigate the fear you're feeling. This is a way to channel our anxiety and although our nails suffer the consequences it tends to make our fear disappear a little.Clinging To Something Comforting
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It isn't just people that we turn to for comfort when we're feeling scared, sometimes we might also look for something familiar to hold on to. You might associate this with children who have a favourite toy or blanket, but these sorts of benefits can actually continue into adulthood.Cover Our Eyes
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If the thing that is scaring you is something visible in front of you then many people might naturally react by covering their eyes with their hands. Although it probably won't help so much, it can for a brief period of time, remove the source of fear from our eyesight for some relief.Begin Pacing Back And Forth
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Pacing back and forth is another way that we can use our energy to try and off put the fear that we might be feeling. It's not as though this is going to help us with our fear, but the movement helps act as a distraction to what it is that's tormenting our minds and making us scared in the first place.Avoiding Eye Contact
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Eye contact is something we're always taught to try and keep when being polite, but it can quickly become a casualty of our fear. Often when we're feeling fearful or anxious we can choose to avoid keeping eye contact with people, usually as a way for us to try and shield the vulnerabilities we have.Become Hyper Vigilant
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Naturally, when you're feeling scared of something you'll always be on the lookout for anything else that might frighten us. This means we can become quite hyper-vigilant and every little change could set the little alarm bells in our minds. We'll always be scanning our surroundings for any sign of fear.Get Startled By Sudden Noises
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Like I just said, we become hyper vigilant and sudden noises can really make us jump. Our nerves are already on edge so as soon as any noise disrupts the silence it can be a real shock to the system. Think about all of the horror films you've watched and how they always disrupt silence to make you scream!Overthinking Too Much
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As you're probably already aware, fear can often send our mind into overdrive and we can quickly begin overanalysing every single situation we find ourselves in. We might be overthinking if we can help ourselves or we might even be trying to process and figure out what sort of danger we're really in.Try To Find Somewhere Safe
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Our primal instincts can often set in almost immediately after we're gripped with fear and we'll try and find a position where we're safe. It could be a cosy corner in your home, behind a locked door or somewhere you feel comfortable like your bed. These places of refuge are where we want to be to protect ourselves.Begin To Cry
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I'm sure you won't be surprised that we can often begin crying as a natural response to fear. Our emotions can often become overloaded and this spills out in the form of tears. This acts a release valve of sorts, a way for us to let go of some of the pent-up tension and anxiety that we've built.Turn To Praying
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Even people who don't claim to be the most religious of citizens can turn to praying to a higher power when scared of something. They might not necessarily believe in it being true, but having faith in something out of your control can offer us some sense of connection and hope that things will change.Pull Our Hair Out
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We often associate pulling our hair out with being pretty stressed, anxious or frustrated, but this can also occur when we're frightened too. It obviously isn't something that someone would recommend doing but in our worst moments we don't always have that sort of control.Message Our Closest Friends And Family
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I mentioned earlier that you would often turn to your friends and family for comfort in person, but if they aren't available we might also message or ring them in order to have some reassurance and support provided to us. You'll know who it is you'd want to turn to in moments like that.Try To Distract Ourselves
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Everyone has their own hobbies and interests so what you do to distract yourself might be different to pretty much anyone else. We might turn to gaming, watching television or reading books amongst other things to temporarily distance ourselves from the looming fear.We Talk To Ourselves
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One of the weirder things that people tend to do when they're scared is start having internal conversations out loud. You might be trying to rationalize with yourself or reassure yourself that everything will be okay. It's definitely a coping mechanism for us to try and regain some control.Our Nose Blocks
