Nothing to Fear Day

 

photo by Pixabay

Nothing

to Fear

Day

Today is Nothing to Fear Day. Start that novel. Finish that novel. Do that laundry that’s been sitting in the basket for a month with the stain you can’t identify. It’s not going to smell any better. If you don’t have a specific fear, perhaps you’d like to adopt one of those below:

Arachibutyrophobia: Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth

Who hasn’t had this at least once and lunged for the chocolate milk? I won’t tell anyone you drank right from the carton, if you don’t rat on me. It’s a rare phobia that can stem from a greater phobia of sticky or from a traumatic incident with peanut butter. (Use your imagination.)

Nomophobia: Fear of being without your mobile phone

Cell phone addiction is fairly common. People with nomophobia also experience excessive anxiety with a low battery or phone out of service. They obsessively check their phones throughout the day and worry they will miss a call. I admit I get a little armpit sweat with a battery below 50%.  

Xanthophobia: Fear of the color yellow

Do bananas send you screaming from the room? People with this rare phobia are usually afraid of any yellow object, and you may find them running in the opposite direction of a school bus.

Octophobia: Fear of the number eight

Numbers seem to cause untold distress. Octophobia is a fear of the number eight. Why eight has such a bad rap I don’t know. These people are easy to spot as they goggle in terror at the packs of hot dogs and bun at picnics.

Optophobia: Fear of opening one’s eyes

I get it. There are days I have no good reason to stay in bed, but wanna anyway.

Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia: Fear of long words

Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is one of the longest words in the dictionary. How ironic.

Amathophobia: Fear of dust

Amathophobiacs should not look under my couch

Chaetophobia: Fear of hair

Chaetophobiacs have a fear of one’s own hair, other people’s hair, animal hair, or a hairball on the ground. Again, they should avoid looking under my couch. Don’t judge me. I don’t sweep there often.

Ergophobia: Fear of work

Okay, fine. I don’t sweep under the couch. I also avoid other housework involved with floors such as mopping and vacuuming. I used ergophobia as an excuse with my family. Sue me.

Eisoptrophobia: Fear of mirrors

Only after eating a big meal or trying to squeeze into last year’s dress that I swear still fits.

Now, get off that couch, swallow your fear, and do something constructive. Don’t let decidophobia (the fear of making decisions) keep you from having fun today. And be careful with that peanut butter.