Living up high is a dream for some and a nightmare for others. Among these ‘others’ are people with a pronounced fear of heights. Known officially as acrophobia, having a fear of heights can be paralyzing in even everyday situations, such as climbing a step stool or driving on an overpass. For those with acrophobia, it’s quite understandable to have a fear of living in a high rise. After all, how could living several hundred feet off the ground at all times not trigger this fear? Let’s talk about how one can manage their fear of living in a high rise due to acrophobia, including one very obvious one!
My Experience: I Used To Have A Fear Of Heights, Too
Before we get into the tips on managing your fear of living in a high rise, I will confess my own feelings. I too have suffered from a fairly moderate fear of heights in my life. While less so now, I still find myself clinging to a guardrail a little tighter than need be on occasion.
I’m not a psychologist so I’ll only speak from experience – a fear of heights can largely be overcome. That’s the good news. The less good news is that it will take time and effort to do it. That’s what we’ll be covering below.
The Most Obvious Piece Of Advice…
We will cover several actionable techniques you can use to manage this fear, but there is one very obvious tip we have to include on this list: living in a high rise apartment building is not required!
If you truly don’t want to live in a tall building due to a fear of heights, there’s no shame in seeking out other living arrangements.
Our pride can make us do things that we otherwise don’t want to do. If your fear of living in a high rise is going to cause tremendous stress and anxiety, you may be best off just avoid it altogether.
While I believe anyone can manage their fear of heights (as opposed to eliminate – more on that below), I would never encourage someone to go through the trouble of moving, signing a lease, wanting to get out of it, losing time and money, etc. It’s not worth it.
Coping With The Fear Of Living In A High Rise: A Few Tips
Below are a few quick tips that you may find useful for managing your fear of living in a high rise! Just to clarify, we’re basing our advice on some assumptions:
- You are required or will benefit greatly from living in a particular area with only high rise buildings.
- You really like the benefits a high rise can offer but are held back due to fear.
- You’re getting pressure from family, partners or roommates on moving into a high rise and are trying to compromise.
These are just a few reasons that you could be torn on the decision. Let’s talk about what can be done.
PROMOTION
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1. Choose A Lower Floor
As you’re most likely aware, many high rise apartment buildings are desired for more than just a great view – they’ve got attractive amenities as well.
High rise apartment buildings are often in great locations, too. If you’re looking to live in or near a highly desired urban area, there’s a good chance you’ll be looking at high rises.
Fortunately, you can choose to live on a lower floor. While a fear of living in a high rise may encompass more than just the fear of heights, taking height out of the equation is one less thing to worry about.
In our current building, apartments begin on floor two. Living on one of the first few floors in a high rise is an easy way to bypass a fear of heights. Since the building doesn’t have a ‘view to sell’ on those floors, you could end up with a better deal too.
2. Gradual Exposure
We always feel uncertain the first time we do anything. When we’re doing something that is scary or nerve-wracking for the first time, it’s common to feel intense waves of fear, anxiety and even a quasi-form of paralysis (at least we feel so).
But after some time, doing that same activity elicits a very different response. We can be calm and collected doing something that was previously terrifying.
This can be said for many common phobias, such as public speaking, social anxiety and fear of heights. We can’t remember what the big deal was after doing them a few times. That said, we need to go through some discomfort to get there.
The trick here is to expose ourselves to the thing we fear one small step at a time. If someone is terrified of heights, for instance, a small “step” to take (heh) is to climb up a ladder until you begin to feel uncomfortable…and stay there.
While it will be uncomfortable at first, you’ll gradually feel fine standing on a ladder. You can then climb to a higher step or rung and repeat. Over time, you’ll feel comfortable.
In regards to a fear of living in a high rise apartment, I recommend you take a tour of several buildings in your area. When going on a walkthrough with a leasing agent, you can request to see apartments on gradually higher and higher floors. Simply practice standing close to windows and looking down one floor at a time.
Related: Do Windows In High Rise Apartments Open? Here’s What Ours Has
3. Remember To Breathe
This tip is simple – deep breathing is proven to reduce anxiety. Feeling a wave of fear while living in a high rise can be overcome.
If you’re feeling this level of fear just stepping into a high rise building, I am not suggesting you actually live in one. Even if you’re just visiting someone in a tall building, this tip can be helpful.
Acrophobia is the body’s flight response to a perceived threat – the threat being a fall from heights. With this stress response comes a physical response as well. Adrenaline, rigidity, racing thoughts, etc.
Given that the brain relaxes when it gets enough oxygen (via Stress.org linked above), it’s imperative to avoid falling into the trap of holding our breath while feeling this fear.
I don’t suggest not feeling this fear – feeling it is unavoidable. I am of the opinion that we should instead focus on what we can control, like breathing and easing tension in the body. The fear will subside as a byproduct of exposure and relaxation.
Related: Are Higher Floors Quieter In Apartment Buildings? My Experience By Floor
4. Balance Safety & Rationality
When it comes to most things, there are typically two extremes at either end of the opinion or behavioral scale. In a high rise apartment building, being fearful and reckless are the two polarized opposites that must be balanced.
Personally, I try to balance these two at a 1:1 ratio. Rather than recklessness, I will use the term ‘calculated risk’ or rationality. This involves using logic and reason whenever possible.
A good example of fear being used appropriately is to avoid leaning too far over a balcony railing or hanging out of an apartment window. Those are examples of helpful fear-based thoughts.
Getting over the fear of living in a high rise requires safety, yes, but it also involves being logical.
For example, walking onto a high rise balcony may trigger acrophobia. We already know not to climb on or lean over railings – these are the two most likely causes of an actual accident.
We may also have an irrational fear of a railing breaking or the balcony collapsing. When I feel this, I think about how few times this has ever occurred. When was the last time this happened? How likely is this event to ever happen? The building we live in now has been standing just fine for decades – why do I expect something bad to happen?
Between taking steps to be safe while maintaining a logical perspective, we can get closer to balancing out our fears with rationality.
Related: Are High-Rise Balconies Safe? 7 Critical High-Rise Balcony Safety Tips
In Summary
A fear of heights can be extremely difficult to get over – I never thought I’d be able to. Thankfully, there is a methodical approach we can take that gradually relieves this fear a little bit at a time. I hope this article has been helpful in this regard. Thanks for reading!
