7 Tips to Get Over the Fear of Flying
- thereseholland
- Jul 25, 2015
- 3 min read
So, you want to travel, but you have one kind of big obstacle in the way: you're afraid of flying.
Don't worry, this fear is very common. 1 in 5 Americans suffers from flight anxiety. I'm here to help you with a few tips to tackle this fear.
1. Think logically.
It’s much safer to fly than to drive. Statistics about flight safety state that there is nearly a 100% chance that your flight will land safely. Flights take off and leave every day, an innumerable amount of times per day.
Understand that this is people's job. The flight attendants and pilots experience turbulence every day and understand that this happens as a part of their work day. Turbulence hardly makes them have a second thought. The spot by the bathrooms is their water cooler! During turbulence they’re chatting about who they like or what they did during their days off. Try to achieve this level of casualness towards flying. This is their job, they do it every single day, and they know what to do and when it is actually a threatening situation (rarely). You're in good hands.
2. Accept that control is in someone else’s hands.
This may sound ridiculous, but personally it has helped me when I've felt a bit scared during turbulence. If the plane is in trouble, or nearly is, what are you actually going to do about it? What steps could you possibly take to save everyone? Nothing. You're out of control. This isn't a car you're driving, but one the staff is, and as I've mentioned they're quite comfortable with it.
So, rather than focus on your (not) imminent death, why don't you just focus on the program you're watching or book you're reading? As I said, this may seem ridiculously simplistic, but for me, admitting that I am out of control helps loosen my anxiety. Again, focus on the fact that trained professionals are in control (not you) and they will do the best thing. Keep your thoughts elsewhere. And on that note...
3. Focus on something else!
Where are you going? Dream about the beautiful beaches or interesting new cities you’ll see. Going for work? Think about your current projects and whether you’ll have time to see a bit of the city you’re flying into. This flight is taking you somewhere you don’t see every day, and you’ll be there soon enough!
Or, focus on the flight attendant. Ask him or her, “What was that sound?”, “Why is the plane shaking?”, or “Is this normal?” The flight attendant will explain what is happening. He or she can also explain technically what is happening, and why it is not worrisome.
Scared to talk to someone directly? Just look at the flight attendants: do they seem concerned? Most of the time, the flight attendants will continue to walk around the plane. Sometimes they’ll sit down and fasten their seatbelts, but they will always remain calm. You won’t see them frantically calling their relatives to tell them what’s happening. Use this as tangible evidence that everything is fine.
4. Sleep!
Sleep is a great way to not be present for your negative thoughts. Many people turn to (legal) drugs or alcohol to remove themselves from this negative experience. If you don’t want to take anything too strong, an over the counter melatonin or Benadryl pill could be enough to help you get sleepy.
5. Anticipate your fear.
Look, you know this is going to happen, maybe despite your knowledge that you’ll be safe. You’re afraid, and inevitably, despite my tips, you will still feel at least a little bit of anxiety.
You need to differentiate between anxiety and actual danger. You know you’ll be okay, yet you still feel fear. In this case, look at your anxiety as a side effect that you already expected. When it happens, remember that in a calmer moment, you understood the facts that you would be safe. Try to isolate your mind from the anxiety your body is producing. Tell your body to calm down, you knew it was going to do this, so just relax. Sometimes your body reacts this way, so talk yourself through it.
You’ll be okay.
Are you afraid of flying? What do you do to get through a flight? Let me know in the comments section below!
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