How To Overcome Fear Of Mice

[TopicStarter]

Watching the cute and adorable Jerry outwitting Tom on television is, of course, purely enjoyable. But the moment you find a few mice sneaking into the attic or garage, you grow all fidgety and nervous!

Well, a couple of black and hairy creatures running around at great speed are bound to startle and shock anybody, in spite of the fact that they’re really tiny. This is why you should first tell yourself that being scared of mice is not totally unwarranted and unnatural. 

But like any other fear, this can also threaten your safety, well-being, and mental peace if you don’t keep a check on it. For instance, on getting into a hurry to leave a place just after spotting a mouse, you may end up hurting yourself. Or, in the worst cases, you might stay up all night after having seen a mouse escaping under the bed. 

So, you need to tackle this fear wisely by inculcating some simple practices and clearing certain misunderstandings, which I’ve talked about in a few points below.

#1 Mice won’t bite you unless you harm them: The fear of any creature arises primarily due to the apprehension that it may bite you. But there’s another thing common to all creatures that we tend to forget: they only strike to defend themselves on feeling threatened. 

So, unless mice sense any trouble, they would never bite you. Tell this to yourself whenever the fear creeps in, and you’ll surely not act in a way that makes them feel distressed. Ultimately, you’ll feel more relaxed, and the mouse won’t also create any disturbances. 

#2 Embrace your fear: Running away can never be a solution for any kind of fear and would rather make you more apprehensive or nervous of the root cause. That’s why exposing yourself to the object of fear is important. 

Don’t avoid looking at pictures of mice or listening to your friends cracking a joke on them. At first, you’ll naturally feel uncomfortable, but this feeling will gradually subside with constant exposure. You can even try visiting a store for pets that has mice after overcoming the initial discomfort. 

#3 Confide in a person: Sharing your fear with a truly trustworthy person always eases the mind and makes you feel stronger. They can also assist you during the exposure sessions by accompanying you to the pet stores or showing you pictures. This way, they’ll witness your development and ultimately make you more confident. 

Do you have a fear of mice? What steps did you take to overcome it? 
 

[Emma]

I often forget that this is a common fear. I have never had this. I grew up owning hamsters and gerbils from a young age. We had mice in our house as well and I remember being startled by one once but only because I thought it was a giant bug! LOL