Face your biggest fear to conquer it

Are you brave enough to stroke a spider or bungee jump..

Spiders, snakes and sharks all feature among our more terrifying fears, according to a recent study, that reveals heights to be the greatest fear suffered by most of us. Death also features highly among anxieties that induce a state of dread, but the good news is that over a third of us have managed to overcome a fear in our lives so far.

When people across the UK were questioned on whether they felt themselves to be brave, it was revealed that 53 per cent consider that they do face difficult situations and fears with courage.

The study results also revealed that almost six in 10 of us enjoy adrenaline-filled activities, taking risks and living on the edge.

The activity Brits would most like to try is hot air ballooning (28 per cent), followed by trampolining (25 per cent), race car driving (21 per cent), and riding the world’s fastest zipline (17 per cent).

However, around two in five Brits are more hesitant when it comes to putting their mettle to the test, and would prefer to keep their feet firmly on the ground.

When embarking on adrenaline-filled activities, we would rather be with other people than alone, and two in five of us would most like to face our fears with our spouse or partner.

Almost a quarter of us would like to share the experience with friends, or family (19 per cent).

This could be for the shared experience and memories to look back on and laugh about, but it can help to have some familiar support or a calm voice should a situation prove challenging.

The survey commissioned by Zip World also listed the UK cities regarded as having the bravest citizens in the UK, with Brighton (78 per cent) and Liverpool (76 per cent) leading, followed by Newcastle (72 per cent) and London (70 per cent) just behind.

Health experts say that facing our fears can help to eradicate them in many cases.

Always avoiding situations that scare you might stop you doing things that you want or need to do. Exposing yourself to your fears can break this pattern and be an effective way of overcoming them.

Early humans needed fast responses to dangerous situations and fear helped to protect them as they often faced physical danger. Threats and dangers are different in modern-day living but fear and stress responses still work in the same way.

Andrew Hudson, commercial director at Zip World, sees people face their fears through adventure, from the world’s fastest zipline, to high-octane karting and assault courses.

He said: “We have people visiting every day who take part in different adrenaline-filled activities – some can’t wait to get going, whereas others are battling their fears to make it happen, but in both cases, it’s always brilliant to see how happy everyone is when they have completed what they set out to.

“It’s important to remember how exhilarating overcoming fear can be”.