"Monitors" with Mild Phobia Step 1
For this set of activities, you are the kind of spider fearing person who won't go near them, but just likes to know where they are, keeping a casual eye on them so that they can't get too close to you. The end goal of this is for you to be able to take your eyes off the spiders long enough to leave a room to get a tissue or a container, so that you can remove it from your home and put it outside.
The first and most important step is to become comfortable with the idea of not being able to see the spider that you know is there. Now, because we don't want people to go around catching spiders to set on you, we're going to have to make do with the next best thing.
Watch Spiders Before Interacting With Them
Find either videos or GIFs of spiders that are moving about. If you choose a video, try to avoid those with commentary.
Set up a video or GIF and watch the spider, begin to monitor it the way you usually do and slowly try to get up and leave the room. The key to this is that you are breaking your line of sight to the spider and avoiding looking at it, whilst putting a door or a wall between you and the spider.
Wait a few seconds and re-enter the room, while trying not to look at the video or GIF. Try and do this a few times, until you don't mind entering and ignoring the spider.
Adjust Your Focus and Get Comfortable
This exercise is important because it tries to stop you from focusing in on the spider and worsening your anxiety. This is the basis for the next two stages, so make sure you are comfortable with it before proceeding.
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Full reference:
Liya Panayotova (Nov 25, 2015). "Monitors" with Mild Phobia Step 1. Retrieved Sep 15, 2024 from Explorable.com: https://explorable.com/e/mild-minotors-step-1
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