Most people are often afraid of many things. That could be a fear for ghosts, goblins, monsters, and even rats. Some people have also developed a phobia for basements. They believe creepy and scary things are hidden down there. They’re afraid of the unknown.
It has even gone to the extent you might see them running and screaming out, completely frightened. What then is the reason for this?
Lack of regular maintenance, the darkness and the sanitation can cause the fear of basements. It can be a place that looks abandoned, unkempt, and subjected to many hazards such as intrusion of water and pest infestation. As a result, when you go down to your basement, the darkness and creepiness engulf you causing fear.
Basically, this phobia is caused as a result of untidiness and ignorance.
For instance, you leave your basement for 2 years without cleaning it regularly. Then, of course, you’ll be scared when spider webs are formed, the room is dark, rats roam around, and dust particles are all over.
Often we can eradicate this fear by inculcating basic sanitary measures.
Reasons for Fear of Basements
Your basement is one of the quietest, darkest, and scariest places in your home. The reason is that people are often afraid of darkness, scared that something might creep upon them.
However, fear is just an illusion that humans create in their minds. It might just be a phase to some people, but it’s a real problem to others. These people may go as far as taking the services of a psychologist. That said, there are different types of phobias associated with basements, which are;
- Myctophobia: which is the fear of darkness.
- Claustrophobia: the fear of small places.
- Cenophobia: the fear of empty rooms.
- Herpetophobia: the fear of creepy-crawly things.
Many other phobias could potentially pose a threat to your mental state. Thus, it is best to know some of the reasons for this fear. Below are some of the reasons;
- Darkness: this is one thing that always weakens us and leaves us in a confused state. You tend to lose control of your thinking ability when subjected to darkness. This occurrence is especially true when you go down to your basement, and there’s poor ventilation and a shortage of light.
- Noise: it’s always nerve-wracking when you hear that weird noise in your basement. You feel like crawling out of your skin. Sometimes, the unpleasant noise causes you to run out of your basement completely drowned in fear.
- Silence: the worst thing that can happen to me is being alone on a quiet and lonely road. This is another thing that keeps us far away from the basement. The awful silence makes you afraid of going down to your basement.
- Stairs: the stairs are the only medium that enables you to go down to your basement. Sometimes, you are discouraged from going there due to the creaky noise your stairs produce. In addition, they make you think something bad will happen to you in your basement.
These are bad thoughts that can lurk at the back of your mind. Some people stay far away from their basement due to these reasons. Therefore, they their fear leads to their basement becoming a very dirty, unclean place.
How to Overcome Fear of Basements
Well, you can help eradicate your fear of your basement by simply carrying out a few sanitary practices.
Below are some of the ways you can overcome your fear:
- Muster up the courage and clean up your basement, get rid of all the dust and cobwebs.
- Refresh your floors by laying new tiles, carpets, or rugs.
- Fix the doors, stairs, and windows to avoid that spooky and creepy noise.
- Improve the lighting in your basement by fixing new energy bulbs and opening the windows for proper ventilation.
- Bring in new curtains and furniture to lighten up the room.
- Hang artworks or paintings on the wall to add more life and meaning to your basement.
- Get a shelf or shelves and keep books on them. You can turn your basement into your library.
- You can paint your basement with bright and neutral colors. This will add life to your basement and finally eradicate your fear of basements.
- You can turn your basement into your library, storage space, personal home office, secret hideout, and many more.
What are the Best Colors to Brighten up Your Basement?
Colors effortlessly add beauty and meaning to everything they are used for. You can use different shades of color to give life to your basement.
Light shades of neutral colors are preferable. You wouldn’t want to use dark shades of color; It’ll only make your basement scarier.
Below are some colors you can use for your basement:
- Bright white: this color is natural and adds light to your basement. You can paint the walls white or use white furniture if it suits your taste.
- Sky blue: this is among the best shades of blue that lifts spirits and calms nerves. It creates a warm and welcoming feeling, which is perfect for your basement.
- Grey: the popularity of grey has rapidly increased, and it’s a common neutral color used in everything, including basements. It gives your basement a classic and mature look. I’d recommend this color to anyone.
- Yellow: this list would be incomplete without this exotic color. Yellow adds light to everything and is often used by interior designers to add light to dark rooms. In addition, yellow is a cheerful color that immediately warms up your basement and makes it lively.
All these points lead us right back to maintaining a clean and healthy environment. If you keep your basement clean, you can go down there any time without fear – or at least it will make it easier!