Snakes, heights, or small spaces? Whatever starts your knees wobbling, watching someone else safely handle the source of your phobia can help you overcome it, finds a new Swedish research.
If you see a guy like yourself safely managing the source of your fear, your brain will absorb that information and use it to reduce your phobia, explains study coauthor Armita Golkar, Ph.D. Your brain tells itself, “If it’s safe for him, it’s safe for me, too,” Golkar says.
So whether you’re freaked out by public speaking, spiders, or chatting up pretty girls at the bar, ask a buddy to take on the source of your shivers in front of you, Golkar advises. Here’s an example: Afraid every pit bull you see is going to maul you? Have your friend pet one in front of you. When the pup playfully licks his face, your brain will recognize that your imagined threat is nothing to worry about, the research suggests. (In fact, this may be even more effective than you tackling your fear yourself, Golkar says.)
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