Think about moments when you were your happiest and having a lot of fun. Relive and reimagine fun moments in as much detail as possible. Close your eyes, for example, and remember the peaceful beach day you had with friends a few weeks ago. What did it smell like, sound like, feel like, and so on? You can also think about lighthearted media, or even watch something lighthearted. What’s a movie that always calms you down? When reeling from fear over Creepypasta, maybe you can remember moments from your favorite childhood movie. See if you can find clips from this movie on YouTube.
If you’re experiencing the physical effects of fear, like a rapid heartbeat, music can help with this as well. Your body’s rhythm naturally adapts to the sound of music. If you listen to a slow-paced song, your heartbeat may slow down and your breathing may return to normal.
Take in your surroundings. Notice how you’re connected to your present surroundings. For example, what are your feet doing? Pay attention to how they’re touching the floor. Pay attention to how your back and buttocks feel in your chair. This will help keep you in the present and prevent you from indulging in scary thoughts.
Your imagination can get the better of you after watching scary media. You may imagine running into a scary character from a Creepypasta, for example. Instead of letting your imagination take you down a scary path, force it to think of something pleasant. You can even invent a happy story for yourself. Imagine yourself running into a pleasant fictional character instead of a dangerous one, for example.
If you try to force yourself out of a fearful mood, this may create more anxiety. You may say something to yourself like, “It’s just a story. You need to grow up and relax. " If you find you don’t relax, you may feel frustrated with yourself, leading to more stress and anxiety. Instead, just acknowledge you’re upset. Take a moment to accept the situation and deal with it from there. Think something like, “I’m scared because I read a story about a ghost. Now, I’m jumping at small noises in my home. It’s scary, but that’s okay. I can watch something else to calm down. "
Think to yourself, “This story is imaginary. The characters cannot hurt me. " Look at your fears from a rational perspective. In reality, you honestly have nothing to fear. The characters in the stories are not going to harm you, as they don’t exist. Keep telling yourself this.
Think about Slendy and Jeff going to ballet class, or smile dog getting his teeth whitened. Look at whatever story you’ve just read, and find a way to make it humorous. It can be something as simple as imagining a character doing something ridiculous or stupid. You could also watch videos that make fun of Creepypasta. You can find these videos online. Google something like, “Silly Creepypasta” or watch people comically reading the stories and laughing.
For example, you’re scared because you read a story about a murderer. You keep thinking about it, even though you don’t want to. Think of an explanation for your fear. Think about what you’re really scared of. You’re scared of danger, like most people. Do not beat yourself up over this. Instead, think something like, “It’s good and healthy to be afraid of danger. Being watchful for danger can protect me. Even though I don’t really need to be afraid right now, this could be a positive in the future. "
Breathe in through your nose. Make sure to channel your breath so your stomach rises. Then, exhale slowly through your mouth. Repeat this 10 times. You should notice yourself becoming increasingly calm.
Move from your head to your toes. Tense muscles, like your shoulders, for a few seconds and then release them. Move downward, until you’ve reached your toes. If you’re stressed, your muscles naturally tense up. By consciously tensing them and releasing them, you’re relieving yourself of some of the physical feelings of stress.
For example, you can start with something like, “I’m so scared of the story I just read. It was about a woman who can talk to spirits, and it was just so disturbing. " Continue venting your thoughts. For example, “I don’t really think spirits are real, and if they are they probably won’t hurt me. But I’m still nervous, which is frustrating. "
Go for a walk or run. Go for a bike ride. Do some jumping jacks or light cardio in your living room.
