Go out at dusk/sunset on a nice day and just walk around your apartment building once. I was kind of afraid of the dark and waited until a nice summer night, had lots of lights on and the door/screen open to the outside and went out to my side yard and just stood there at around 9:00-10:00 and looked around, remembering good times at outdoor evening picnics and catching fireflies from childhood. I went out before it was real late or I'd expect my "unsafe" elements to be out

I did that when I got afraid of thunderstorms too; got tired of being afraid so said a quick prayer to the effect that what will be will be and went out walking in it as it was moving away and there wasn't as much lightning/thunder as there had been. The more you "see" and experience what is actually there, the less scary thinking about it is and it's mostly our thoughts that do us in?

Find a time when it is mostly dark that doesn't bother you as much as other times? Do you pay attention to what times of day are better/worse for you? When my husband was away, I use to be afraid until about 3:00-4:00 a.m. when I deemed the murderers/robbers would be heading home to their own beds :-) I could get to sleep then, too bad it was so late and, if it were a weeknight, I'd be horribly tired at work the next day or have to call out/make plans ahead of time not to go.