Fear of flying, or aviophobia, can make preparing to board an aircraft stressful. In extreme cases, it may also cause you to avoid flying altogether.
The idea that flying is one of the safest forms of travel isn’t always enough to prevent a fear of flying from developing. Several aspects of flight from strange movements and noises to being in a confined space, among others, can trigger a fear of flying.
Preparing to board an aeroplane can be stressful if you have aviophobia, or a fear of flying. In severe circumstances, you can decide to give up flying completely.
Even with its reputation as one of the safest modes of transportation, flying can nonetheless cause anxiety in certain people. A fear of flying can be brought on by a number of factors, including being in a small area and experiencing unexpected movements and noises.
But you can take several steps to help overcome pre and mid-flight jitters and reduce the overall impact on your mental health.
To lessen the overall effect on your mental health, you can take a few measures to assist you get over your pre- and mid-flight nervousness.
How to overcome your fear of flying
There are several ways you may be able to overcome your fear of flying. Here are some tips and suggestions.
1. Understand your actual risk
Flying is one of the safest forms of travel. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), on average you would have to fly once a day for 10,078 years to be involved in an accident with at least one fatality.
They also showed that only 26 accidents occurred out of 25.1 million flights in 2021.
Compare that to car travel where in 2021 there were over 40,000 deaths involving car accidents. In 2019, reported data showed:
- over 5 million reported accidents
- over 1.9 million involved injury
- over 33 thousand involved death
In other words, you may have a much higher chance of getting into a car accident than a plane accident and have a much higher chance of injury or death from a car accident.
Knowing this may not help fully control anxiety or fear, but it may give you more confidence as you step onto the plane that your chances of being involved in an accident is very low
For a further in depth customer survey carried out by the UK CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) 2019 and varied statistics
2. Learn your triggers
The entire experience of flying can be triggering to anxiety and fears of flight. After all, you:
- need to get to the airport on time
- board a plane with a confined cabin
- hear noises throughout the flight
- feel pressure changes as the cabin pressurises
- feel the speed of the plane as it takes off or lands
- experience turbulence or sudden changes in altitude during flight
Any of these or more can trigger fear if you’re already nervous about flying. You can help manage your fear if you can figure out what about flight is particularly triggering for you. From there, you can figure out ways to cope with the trigger.
For example, if sudden turbulence or movements in the plane triggers fear, you may find that watching the flight attendant’s reactions reassuring. They’ll often be unphased because they’ve experienced them frequently throughout their career.
3. Consider formal treatment
Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) may be a helpful form of treatment for fear of flying. In an older study from 2008
, researchers found that the same skills a person learned during CBT helped with reducing anxiety and fear associated with flying.
Consider seeking formal treatment for CBT using your search engine to help you find therapists near you.
4. Medications
A doctor or psychiatrist may recommend or prescribe anxiety medication for temporary use prior to your flight.
It’s recommended that you take the medication shortly before flight to help calm your nerves and relax. Some medications a doctor may recommend include diazepam (Valium) or alprazolam (Xanax). Personally I would stay clear of medications as much as possible and utilise the more healthier approaches to reduce the anxiety instead .
5. Plan your travel well
The more you can put into your control, the better you may find the experience of flying. Keep in mind, you have at least some control — most of the time — when flying. Taking control may help you manage your fear because you can:
- book only non-stop flights
- travel only on larger planes that are less prone to turbulence
- reserve priority boarding to avoid long lines getting onto the plane
- choose your seat in the middle over the wings
6. Try a fear of flying course
Fear of flying courses may help with reducing your fear of flying. These short courses offer training to help you feel better before your flight. They can help with both pre-flight fears and in-flight anxieties.
Depending on the course, a person may get to meet with and speak to actual pilots, board a plane without leaving the ground, or sometimes take a short flight.
To start with I would highly recommend https://www.fearofflying.com
Captain Tom Bunn, an airline captain and licensed therapist, is President and founder of SOAR, Inc. which has a wealth of knowledge and formulated an amazing set of programs to benefit any individual with any type of Anxiety needs so look no further than here to get you sitting comfortably and relaxing.
There are many programs to suit everyones specific requirements so please follow the link and see for yourself and you wont look back !!!
, this is a type of controlled exposure that may help with your fear of flying.
7. Learn ways to manage your anxiety
You may find that many of the techniques used to reduce stress and anxiety in other situations may help you in-flight. In other words, you may find that you can relax through:
- Practicing breathing techniques: If you’re feeling anxious, breathing deeply is one of the best ways to ease your symptoms in the moment.
- Meditation: using a recording like a Relaxation or Meditation video like the one below these from personal experience are an invaluable tool to aid the general calmness before travelling , Searching online you can benefit from a whole array of amazing relaxation videos
- listening to relaxing music : Always make sure you are loaded with as many calming and easy light music and sounds as possible and avoid those high tempo beats and fast heavy sounds
- guided imagery : Guided imagery is meditation that focuses on imagining a place that brings you a sense of peace to ease stress and anxiety. click on the link to gain further knowledge
If you’re flying with a friend or family member, talking out your fears may also help. This can include letting them know what they can do to support you prior to and during your flight.
When to seek help
If you experience a fear of flying, you may want to seek professional help. If your fear is overwhelming, a doctor or psychiatrist can prescribe short term use of anxiety medications or provide CBT.
Signs you may need more help include:
- refusing to board a plane at all
- experiencing a panic attack during a flight or when at the airport
- finding that your fear does not go away during flight even when using different coping strategies
Conclusion
Fear of flying is a common issue that can have several triggers. You can take steps to manage the fear that include formal treatment options, like CBT or medication, or using coping skills to help you reduce your overall fear or anxiety both before and during your flight.
If you find that it’s difficult to control your fear, you may want to speak to a doctor or mental health professional. They may provide you with additional coping tricks, medication, or other treatment to help.
I have compiled a complimentary Travel Checklist for your Journey to hopefully give you some ideas to get you on your Travels so you can feel more confident and spend that precious time with not only yourself but those who are part of your journey
“Flying Beyond Fear: Embracing Confidence in the Clouds”
Your ultimate FREE Travel Checklist to keep those anxieties at bay giving you more confidence to sit back and enjoy your Journey and more so achieve your goals to get to destinations with calmness
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