How to Overcome Fear of Getting on a Roof

Ladder

Things You'll Need

• Fear of getting on a roof is usually linked to a fear of heights (acrophobia) or falling. It can be inconvenient if you need to do home maintenance such as cleaning gutters, replacing roof shingles or putting up holiday decorations. You can often overcome the fear of getting on a roof by taking it slowly and keeping yourself relaxed, according to therapist and hypnotist Mark Tyrrel. It may take some time, but you can get yourself up on the roof if you are willing to work on your fear.

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Instructions

Getting to the Top

• 1

  Visualize yourself climbing onto the roof before you start to do it. Tyrrel recommends sitting or lying down comfortably and pretending to watch yourself on a television. Picture yourself climbing a ladder confidently, reaching the roof and sitting or standing on it without any fear.

• 2

  Take small steps every day to minimize your fear of getting on the roof. Tyrrel says not to force yourself to confront the fear all at once. Climb a few steps up the ladder for the first few days, then go a little higher the next day once you start to feel relaxed. Set up a goal each day, like, "Today I will climb three steps and stay there for three minutes," and increase the goal at a comfortable pace.

• 3

  Breathe calmly as you climb the ladder and sit or stand on the roof. Breathe in, exhale slowly, pause five seconds and breathe in again, advises Tyrrel. This will help prevent panic and district you as you concentrate on your breaths. Imagine the tension leaving your body with each breath you release.

• 4

  Assess your fear if it starts to take over. Ask yourself, "How bad is my panic right now on a scale of 1 to 10?" This will engage your "thinking brain," according to Tyrrel, which reduces the fear by making you think logically. Imagine the number going down as you think about your breathing and focus on relaxing.

• 5

  Remind yourself that your fear is out of proportion to the situation. Tyrrel says to remind yourself that thousands of people get onto roofs every day. Many of them were once afraid but overcame it. Tell yourself you are fully capable of overcoming the fear, too.