Australian writer confronts arachnophobia to better coexist with huntsman spiders

In a candid reflection on human-wildlife coexistence, Australian writer Rebecca Shaw is attempting to overcome her lifelong fear of huntsman spiders—large, common arachnids that frequently share indoor spaces with humans across Australia. After encountering three huntsman spiders in her home within a single week, Shaw embarked on a personal journey to develop a more rational relationship with these eight-legged housemates.

Shaw’s approach involves reimagining the imposing huntsman spiders as harmless companions, picturing them as “girlies just chilling and listening to us yap.” While she acknowledges this mental technique sounds unconventional, she reports it has yielded modest success in reducing her anxiety. Her goal isn’t to become a spider enthusiast, but rather to achieve what she calls being “Normal” about their presence—a realistic expectation for someone working to overcome a deeply ingrained phobia.

This personal challenge highlights a broader environmental issue: how humans can better coexist with the wildlife that naturally inhabits our shared spaces. Huntsman spiders play important ecological roles as pest controllers, feeding on insects and smaller arthropods that many consider more bothersome than the spiders themselves. Shaw’s honest account of confronting her fears reflects the kind of mindset shift that conservation experts say is essential for improving human-wildlife relationships, even on the smallest scale. Her story demonstrates that environmental stewardship sometimes begins with the simple act of learning to tolerate—if not appreciate—the creatures living right alongside us.