How to Conquer the Fear of Flying

As an anxious person it’s easy to develop new fears.

You might start out being afraid of crowds, closed spaces, or heights. Over time these fears often merge and create new fears, such as the fear of flying.

The fear of flying can become a problem because it can get in the way of so much, like going on vacation, visiting loved ones, or taking a new job.

Today I want to help you calm your fears of flying by providing a few helpful tips.

Preparation

Before the day of your flight a little preparation can go a long way in calming your nerves. Preparation means having your bags packed, having your travel documents, airline tickets, reservations, and travel plans all ready to go up to 48 hrs before the day of your flight. This will reduce the amount of stress you have to face when it’s time to go.

It’s also helpful to arrive to the airport 1-2 hours before takeoff. This way you can get through security and arrive at the flight terminal calm and with time to spare. Not having to run around the airport can and will reduce much of your high anxiety.

Relaxation

For me, there are two things that will help most with relaxation. They are deep breathing and visualization. If you take the time to breathe deeply and imagine yourself on your flight then when it actually happens the experience will be less alien to you.

Here’s how to do that. Breathe in for four seconds, breathe out for four seconds, and visualize yourself in situations that you think could raise your anxiety levels. Do this repeatedly before and during your flight. It will help relieve tension.

Now, if you feel like things could get “out of control” then you can always consider medication. There are many drugs available that can help you relax within a few minutes. Talk to your doctor for more details.

Challenge Your Misconceptions

One of the best ways to lower your anxiety in any situation is to challenge the automatic thoughts that pop into your mind when you’re anxious. A good way to do this when it comes to the fear of flying is to use all those nifty statistics that prove that flying is safer than driving.

Use facts to challenge specific thoughts and fears. This will help you generate alternate thoughts that are based on real information and not guesswork. This will make your alternative thoughts believable and therefore more useful.

Final Thoughts

The fear of flying is not about a lack of knowledge. The fear of flying is an emotional experience rooted in your desire for control and certainty — two things that anxious people crave but seldom find in sufficient quantities to quell their fears.

Believe me though; no one on that plane wants to die. The pilots, flight attendants, and everybody else on board wants to reach their destination just as much as you do. The only difference between you and them is that they have every expectation of making the trip safely.

During your next flight do the best you can to get out of your head. Stop making calculations and judgments about what might happen. In that regard, deal with what is happening and nothing else. Learning how to do this won’t just make flying easier, but it will lay the ground work for eliminating anxiety from your life.

For more details on how to conquer your fear of flying listen to the podcast below.

 

 

 

I’ve also included an unscripted flight guide for those that want to bring my ramblings along with them. In this podcast I try hard to convince you that you’re going to be alright.

Hope it helps.

 

 

 

For more information on flight safety visit these links:

Airlinesafety.com

Boeing Safety Statistics

Flying vs. Driving