Distract Yourself from Flying Anxiety

Many people are scared of travelling in planes. Here are some things that you can do to alleviate that.

Steps

  1. Distract yourself from the noises. Just take a nap or just start a normal conversation if someone is travelling with you. If not, talk to the person beside you. This will help you distract yourself from the noises of engines or anything that disturbs you in the flight.
  2. Bring comforting items. Everyone has different relaxation methods that work best for them.
    • Music player
    • Favorite stuffed animal
    • A gift from a loved one (e.g. a necklace from your beloved grandma)
  3. Take chewing gum or candy. As higher the plane gets, your ears start feeling uncomfortable, you may feel some pops going through your head. This is normal and not dangerous. You can stop these by chewing gum and yawning frequently to help manage pressure changes in your head.
  4. Calm Down by Using Your Senses Using the five senses can help you relax and feel more centered. Experiment with different techniques to calm you.
    • Watch videos of nature.
    • Smell a sweet bar of soap.
    • Give yourself a hand massage.
  5. Use breathing exercises. These sound useless, but can be incredibly relaxing once you try them. A minute of deep breathing can make you feel less anxious.
    • Try the 7-4-8 technique: breathe in for 7 seconds, hold your breath for 4, then exhale for 8.
  6. Find ways to keep busy. Take some video games, books, magazines, or anything that makes you feel good.. also, the flights provide you magazines, so just pick a magazine and start reading it. This will help you release some of your tension.
    • Books and magazines
    • Video games
    • Pencils (for drawing or writing)
    • Movies
  7. Know that statistics are in your favor. Your odds of dying by aircraft are 1 in 7 million—far less likely than your odds of dying from a bike accident, bee sting, road trip, or lightning strike.[1] You are in much more danger when you get in a car or jump into a pool.
  8. Identify the source of your fears. What specifically about flying scares you? Is it the turbulence, the takeoff/landing, the fear of not being in control? When you know why you're scared, you can start thinking of ways to counteract that fear.
  9. Make yourself comfortable. Turn on as much air as you need. Bring a sweater to put on if you're cold. Close the window if it helps you, and imagine you're on a train.



Tips

  • Flying is actually less dangerous than driving.

Related Articles

References

  1. ↑ [How Safe is Flying?
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