‘Come on, Mum, come with us!’ demands little Chloe. Little Mathis, meanwhile, grumbles to his father because he will have to tackle the tree-top adventure course on his own, yet again. These are just some of the situations we see every day at the Fontdouce Adventure Park. We know that overcoming your fear of heights is hard work and a very difficult personal challenge! But don’t worry, there are a few tricks you can use! Why not read this article and make your children proud next summer?
What is acrophobia?
Dizziness, tremors, feeling drawn towards the void, loss of balance, hot flashes… acrophobia, or fear of heights, manifests itself in many ways. First of all, know that you are not alone! It is estimated that between 2% and 5% of people are affected by this fear, which can be very debilitating, especially when trying out unusual activities such as tree climbing or hiking at high altitudes. The Fontdouce Team has identified the four best tips to help you overcome this phobia that is eating away at you and preventing you from enjoying your family sporting activities!
1 – Understanding your fear
Understanding the origin of this phobia would go a long way towards combating acrophobia. There are several possible reasons. Firstly, a past trauma, such as a fall from a certain height, which may have left you with physical or mental scars. Secondly, people with an anxious temperament are more likely to be acrophobic. This may be partly due to upbringing. Regular warnings about the dangers of heights or possible falls create a natural, unconscious mistrust that becomes more pronounced in adulthood. In some cases, it may be due to a problem with the inner ear. In this case, it is best to consult a specialist. But rest assured, this accounts for only a tiny fraction of cases of acrophobia.
2 – Gently exposing yourself to the void
Be careful! There is no point in rushing, as your efforts could be counterproductive. We recommend taking a gradual approach. Once you have understood your fear of heights and identified the situations in which you feel truly uncomfortable, you will gradually confront these situations. Do not throw yourself into the void, but move forward slowly. Once you start to feel the symptoms of a panic attack, express them and put your feelings into words. Whether alone or accompanied, it is very important to express them out loud. Force yourself to breathe, taking deep breaths to slow down your heart rate. Once you are more relaxed, you can move closer to what frightens you. If this is not possible, then stop there; you have already done well! Next time, you will take ten more steps. Once you are back on solid ground or away from a point of emptiness, a moment of reflection is essential.
3 – Work on your balance
Fear of heights can also stem from a lack of confidence in your body. You will need to train your balance and prove to your mind that it can trust you. There are some very simple exercises that anyone can do:
- Walking on a beam
- Balancing on one foot
- Sitting on a large gym ball
- Standing on a Freeman board
There are many exercises of this type, so let your imagination run wild. In any case, you won’t fall very far, and you’ll see that these small efforts can drastically influence your confidence in your balance and therefore your fear of heights.
4 – Simple habits to adopt
When we panic, we rarely do the right thing! We let our emotions take over and all the valuable advice our companions give us makes no sense; they don’t understand anything anyway!!! Here are a few simple tips to put into practice when fear starts to eat away at you:
- Lean on something you trust. A trusted friend, a tree, a rock, to help you move forward.
- Do not close your eyes and keep your gaze fixed straight ahead in the distance.
- Stay focused on your goal. You must reach the end of this journey, so you will! You have 5 km left to descend this steep mountain, and you will make it. Believe in yourself.
- And finally, mistress of all anxiety, remember to breathe deeply!
We hope these little tips will be useful and allow you to come to Fontdouce with peace of mind, ready to take on the challenges of the park’s treetop adventure courses!
The adventure park has been designed to allow everyone to find the level of difficulty that suits them, so there’s no need to risk getting stuck by attempting courses that are too difficult for you. Start with the easy ones instead, which are designed for people who are uncomfortable with heights. At Fontdouce, the tree-top adventure courses have been designed to be very progressive, with each course corresponding to a different level of difficulty, allowing you to progress step by step and gradually familiarise yourself with the activity!
5 – Address the issue with specialists
If our tips are not enough to completely overcome your fear of heights and you want to go even further and free yourself from it permanently, the NERTI method can help you overcome this phobia in depth. Find out more in this article: Freedom from acrophobia in one session.
So we hope to see you soon for new adventures at Fontdouce!
