Stop Thinking About Scary Things

Your brain has stored the memory of the adrenaline rush you experienced after just seeing a horror movie, thinking it wouldn't bother you, but...A shiver runs down your spine as you think of the innocent young girl walking to her doom. You try to relax. But ugh...it's time to go to sleep, and the image keeps creeping into your mind! Or maybe you didn't see a movie, but the dark triggers any number of other scary images to start blazing across your consciousness - what do you do?

Steps

 * 1)  If you watched a movie, think about what they went through to make the scenes.  As you realize how it was put together, you may stop thinking about it as scary.
 * 2) Watch a comedy movie. The human brain will remember recent images best.  Having a good laugh can help by "overwriting" the memory of the scary stuff.
 * 3) Take a Comfortable and Relaxing Bath.  This will soak your mind into a state of meditation; also a good way to get your mind off of those bad thoughts.
 * 4) Read a light-hearted book.  Focusing on the lighter subject material in the book, even for a little while, will help distract your thoughts from those that have been scaring you.
 * 5) Count sheep.  Picture a bunch of sheep in a field, all of them in a pen.  Mentally allow them to pass through a gate into another field and count them as they go.  If you are not asleep by the time you reach twenty, keep counting till you feel sleepy. Other methods (that work terrifically) are thing s like picturing a line going in random places, simply counting, et cetera.
 * 6) Try to think of nothing. It certainly is an unusual way, and the teensiest bit boring, but boring your self has you concentrating on the boredness, getting your mind off disturbing thoughts.  Gradually, you will begin to feel sleepy.
 * 7) Listen to some music, preferably specifically designed for meditation and relaxation.  Classical music is also an option.
 * 8) Pray. If you are a religious person, seek your God and Pray.  This is a spiritual way to distract your brain from those unwanted thoughts.
 * 9)  Think about something mundane.  This applies in the same way as boring yourself.  What happened that was funny today?  Did Cousin Larry jump off his bike again today, hurting himself?
 * 10)  Picture detailed scenes of places you feel safe.  Clear your mind of unwanted images by filling it with images you do want.  Think about the last time you went to Disneyland, for example, when your friends or family were with you.  Try to remember every detail of the central Plaza, for instance, or the courtyard at Fantasyland.  Remember the sights, sounds, smells, and the warm feeling of being safe and surrounded by family.
 * 11)  Seek professional help.  If you find these thoughts persist, or if they are not caused by a scary movie, but rather you find yourself unable to sleep due to fear of odd things, for example, you have a vague feeling of impending doom all of the time, you fear the end of the world, or you often have mental images of terrible, cataclysmic things happening in your life or to those you love, this is indicative of an anxiety disorder and can be treated with medicines which don't alter your personality, but just allow you to function normally.
 * 12) Color. If you like coloring you should draw! make a unicorn or somthing you enjoy.

Tips

 * Use a thin blanket if you choose to take a bath. Otherwise, you will wake up at 2:00 in the morning drenched in sweat.
 * If you take a bath, make sure that at the end you drain the water and then do a quick, thorough rinse with some cool water (not ice cold!) for body heat reasons (you will feel very hot if you don't do this) and it is actually good for your skin!
 * Make sure your mattress is comfortable, otherwise despite the advice from this article, you will have a hard time going to sleep.
 * Struggling with fear is part of the human condition, but sometimes it can get overwhelming due to stressors such as job loss or other financial difficulties, illness or death of a loved one, or after such events as an earthquake, hurricane, or tornado. Don't hesitate to seek out some help - it can often be temporary, and once it passes, it rarely troubles a person again.

Warnings

 * If you experience this problem repeatedly after watching scary movies, horror films may not be the right kind of genre for you. Try comedy, action, cartoon,etc. Some personality types are never able to stomach horror films - best to accept this and stop putting yourself through it.
 * If you like horror movies, but find them too disturbing, consider a different type of scary movie: modern horror films are much more graphic and gruesome than most older films.  Consider movies such as "Vertigo," "The Third Man," "The Birds," "The Andromeda Strain," or even "Bride of Frankenstein" or "Dracula" from the old black and white days.  These films often are more poignant and story-based, and rely less on grisly details than more modern films, which focus more on realistic special effects, and creative ways of killing people. The new horror movies are much more focused on building tension, and sudden moments, creepy music (to build the tension), lighting, colors, et cetera. You can also stick with PG-13 horror films or horror films with a lower rating. If you think you can handle some of the R horror films, go on parental review sites and find out if you would find them disturbing or not.
 * Some horror movies are geared so that kids can watch them and won't be too scared. Try movies such as "Coraline", "Beetlejuice", or "The Nightmare Before Christmas".

Related Tips and Steps

 * How to Stop Being Scared After Watching Scary Movies
 * How to Avoid Being Scared at Night