5 ways to beat acrophobia on Le’mac Towers’ 24th floor glass walkway

Great heights make most of us tense and a little worried. For some, the distress is more serious, just thinking about climbing up high can cause intense fear or anxiety.

Roughly, one in 15 people experience acrophobia – the fear of heights – at one point in their lives. Being scared of heights is natural as we don’t want to fall and hurt ourselves.

Fear of high places in instinctive and, therefore, everyone has a certain degree of it. This fear stops one from getting into dangerous situations. But how can one manage acrophobia?

According to behaviorist, phobias are learnt through observing or hearing other people’s responses to a situation, hence why some people fear heights when they simply think about it.

Le’mac Towers, a Ksh 3.5 billion residential apartments building in the Westlands, Nairobi offers a world competitive unique products, including a glass floor walkway, that can be used to tackle acrophobia. This is in addition to having a unique view of the capital’s skyline.

Picture this: walking on a 126 metre-high glass balcony walkway on the 24th floor. Being able to see activities that are ongoing below your feet and have an aerial view of the Green City in the Sun.

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Being the first of its kind in Eastern Africa, the glass balcony walkway that is open to the public to view is also purposed to help people beat the fear of heights.

“The see-through glass floor is 60mm thick standing out around the property and it is meant to beat fear of heights,” says Mr Ravi Vasta, Le Mac Towers’ developer.

Glass flooring has mostly been used in developed nations and as a tourist attraction. Since we have one in the country, below are guidelines on how to ensure you enjoy the walk on glass balcony without acrophobia interference.

Be Prepared

Take sometime to compose yourself and register in your mind that you are about to go to great heights and trying something new, walking on glass flooring. A pep-talk to oneself might also come in handy.

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Visualise yourself

Close your eyes and picture yourself walking on the glass balcony without fear. Use the rational mind and tell yourself you will not fall or injure yourself. See yourself enjoying the walk the same way you enjoy a walk in the park. Then allow these thoughts to become one with your subconscious.

Take things slowly

Instead of jumping straight into the balcony and start walking around like a white walker, set goals for yourself. You can start by standing on the balcony walkway and have the view. Then slowly walk a short distance and have a different view from the new angle.

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Remember to breathe

When you get worried, your breathing pattern changes. This can cause the anxiety to worsen. Focusing on your breathing will ensure you get a lot of oxygen into your brain, which will in turn help turn off the distress.

Be gentle on yourself

Some of us cannot beat phobia in a span of hours. If you reach the 24th floor, peak out on the balcony then flee, don’t beat up yourself about that. You can always try another time or bring a companion with you for encouragement.