Today, our class had a discussion around the topic of fear. What are some things that we are afraid of? Many of us expressed that we feel anxious, nervous, and afraid of many different things (including spiders, heights, failure, and COVID-19). According to a recent survey in the USA, the most common fears/phobias are:
- Arachnophobia (Fear of spiders)
- Ophidiophobia (Fear of snakes)
- Acrophobia (Fear of heights)
- Aerophobia (Fear of flying)
- Cynophobia (Fear of dogs)
- Astraphobia (Fear of thunder and lightning)
- Trypanophobia (Fear of needles)
- Social phobias (Fear of being embarrassed, fear of not having friends, etc.)
- Agoraphobia (Fear of large groups of people/public spaces)
- Mysophobia (Fear of germs/getting sick)
- Claustrophobia (Fear of small spaces)
- Glossophobia (Fear of public speaking)
Fear is an important emotion that can help keep us safe. But sometimes, our fears might make our lives harder or keep us from having new experiences. Our fears might control our lives and how we interact with others.
In Disney’s new short film, “Far From the Tree”, two racoons learn how to deal with fear and trauma in order to help connect with their children. Check out the trailer below:
Some discussion questions for conversations at home:
- What are some of your fears? Why do you think you have those fears?
- Do you tend to ‘fight, flight, or freeze’ when you are afraid?
- How does fear ‘feel’ in your brain and body?
Best,
Ms. Ward