How to be less afraid of the dark?

[HeatherKellyB]

I think this is common. I was afraid and still feel uncomfortable outside in the dark. I think the power of prayer is what helped me most. I also like and agree with the headlamp suggestion. I ALWAYS have a light with me if I'm going out in the dark. I'll be praying for you too.

 

[ackie]

A good headlamp so you can have hands free light with you is great. Or bring some type of area light with you and set it down in the coop.

I agree with @MarkJr that you are probably the scariest thing out there. I know that logic doesnt always help your fear brain, but maybe come up with some mantra when you're in the dark and start getting scared. I think "I'm the scariest thing out here" would be great because the humor might shake you out of it too.

 

[The Kooky Kiwi]

When you need to go outside - spend a moment just on the edge of the house lit area to let your eyes adjust. Then try to pick out the shapes of things you know that are just a few meters away - it might be the corner of the coop, or a parked car - then walk to that thing and repeat until you are at your coop. Form a picture in your mind of where you expect things to be and look for them. Soon your eyes will adjust and you'll find that even in the dark you *can* see quite a few things.

On a full moon night - the outdoor can often look really pretty in the moonlight!

You can practice doing this IN the house first if you like - turn off the lights in an area of the house and navigate your way around

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Agreed with music and hands free light sources. Partner gets wigged out too and we're well into our 20's. These things help him. Some things are just hard to grow out of.

 

[ackie]

It's also totally not unreasonable to have some sort of "safety blanket" type comforting item in your pocket that you can touch while you're out there.

I assume you are regular afraid and not having panic attacks.

 

[fuentemoon]

This isn't an issue at our current house so much as our coup is right against the house, but at our last place it was way in the yard and I was often home alone at night. I would start talking to my chickens telling them I was coming as soon as I stepped outside, it seemed to make me feel better and it scared off the little critters in my yard too. I am an adult btw

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

Maybe a motion activated light inside the coop, so that it's bright in there when you're doing the head count? Or is it the walk to the coop that is causing the issue? One outside might help then. There are solar powered varieties. If you've got a Harbor Freight Tools nearby I think they have one for around $20.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Up to maybe this year, I was too scared to go out at dark too. So I'd take one of my siblings. Pray is my suggestion. I have a problem with fear myself, so I've been praying that God takes my fear away. Then I'll think of the verse Psalm 23:4: Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Then after that, I'm not as scared anymore. I've done that so many times that now I don't seem to be scared anymore! I hope that this helps you. I know what it's like.

I love this! Thanks for sharing.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

One thing I haven't seen addressed in this thread is the question of how reasonable is it for you to be afraid? What is your neighborhood like? What exactly are you afraid of? Are there real dangers like cougars and bears? How about weird people like bank robbers and drunks with guns? If none of these things are likely to jump out at you, what exactly are you afraid of? Tripping over a root and falling? Walking into a spider web? Identify your fear. Then, on a scale of one to ten, determine its actual threat level. Is it life-threatening or just mildly alarming? Now, also on a scale of one to ten, determine how likely you are to actually encounter it. Is it a sure thing, or maybe one in a hundred? If it's a sure thing or a very likely thing, figure out how to deal with it. Like, if it's spider webs, carry a broom and swipe it in front of you. If there are things that might trip you, carry a flashlight so you can see where you are going.

Bottom line: empower yourself. Take control. Instead of being generally afraid of the unknown, plan and prepare. Own the night! A GOOD headlamp, plus a hand-held flashlight will also help you. Good luck, Little Braveheart!

 

[black_cat]

Can you put a light in your coop so that it can be turned on with a timer a couple of hours before sunset?

Chickens will be drawn to the light inside the coop and go in. Even with my coop pop door open, if I am in the coop after sunset and have the light on, the young birds will go up to the pop door, look out and turn around and leave the door to find a place on the roost bar. A light might keep them inside when it is dark out.

Mine all go in the coop right at sunset, but even though they're all in the coop, I'm concerned that the pop door to the run is open and the run might not be fully secure.