Girls, lately I've started feeling extremely anxious while walking outside at night. I'm startled by even the smallest sound; at some point, I think I might be overreacting, but what if something happens? Is it natural to feel this way? How do you cope with this fear?
I think it's completely normal for you to feel uneasy. Streets aren't safe for women anyway, and it's even harder at night. In such situations, I prefer sticking to main roads and try to avoid straying from crowded places. Also, I grip my keys tightly; it honestly gives me a sense of security.
I get it, you're saying that fear is natural and all, but constantly being this anxious and avoiding things doesn't solve the problem, right? I mean the more you limit yourself, the more you'll end up feeling scared. Ask yourself, is it really right to feed this much fear?
If this anxiety has started recently, I suggest you think about whether an event triggered it. Such situations can sometimes be a sign of anxiety. If you talk to a clinical psychologist, you may better understand the underlying causes.
Yeah guys, I actually didn't experience any big event or anything, there's nothing that directly triggered the fear. But since we're constantly seeing negative news in the headlines, I think it's partly because of that. Honestly, just knowing I'm not alone in this has been comforting.
I also got a bit uneasy while walking at night recently, but then I talked to some friends. One of them made a lot of sense to me: don't wear headphones, always listen to your surroundings. You feel a bit more secure, I recommend it.
