Afraid of Heights? Jump Out of a Plane!
This seems a bit counter-intuitive, but bear with me.
Skydivers always want to tell others about how exhilarating it is to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. We get a variety of responses, but one I hear frequently is “I would love to, but I am afraid of heights.” If this sounds like you, not to worry, you absolutely can skydive. Not only will you be able to take the leap, it will help you push through other fears in life!
Here’s why:
Your brain does not compute.
A fear of heights is an evolutionary survivor instinct to help keep yourself safe. A fear of heights is directly fueled by your brain seeing other objects and being able to calculate a rough estimation of your distance from the ground. If it is not a safe distance, the alarm bells will go off.
We evolved in trees and on the ground, so our brain doesn’t really know how to distinguish heights of thousands of feet in the air. You may feel the fear initially as the plane climbs up, but after a few thousand feet your brain has no relative objects nearby to calculate the distance.
I have heard from other skydivers with an extreme fear of heights that after a certain altitude in the air, you are “telling yourself” to be scared, but your fear inputs are not complying. Go with this. Don’t keep reminding yourself to be scared; breath steady, relax, and smile. You’re about to have the ride of your life!
You get more happy juice than others.
You will get an extra burst of adrenaline, serotonin, and dopamine. The more anxious you feel about any given situation, the more reward chemicals your body will give off. You will feel more pumped and exhilarated than ever before! Many times, the people who are most scared of their first jump are also the most excited ones, and they’re so ready to take over the world when they get to the ground!
You can overcome anything.
The first jump is a huge accomplishment for anyone, regardless of fears. But especially so for those overcoming a fear of heights. You took something that can be debilitating, decided you won’t let it control you and took the giant leap. This is huge. You did it, you pushed through one of your biggest fears in life. Now, you can push through ANYTHING. With this burst of energy and forward momentum, nothing will stop you from your dreams.
Take the first big step in overcoming your fears and book your skydive!