@StayDancingDave the brain favors the familiar over the unfamiliar. neuroscience has proven that affirmations work making the concept "birds are not dangerous" more familiar to your brain and therefore more acceptable to tolerate. also my brain likes to research that which i'm terrified of.
that agonizing whole-body cringe you get when watching someone do something poorly—like terrible singing or dancing—is actually your heart longing, screaming at you to set it free.