If you're yearning for a getaway, but air travel gives you jitters?
In the skies above, aircrafts like the Boeing 747 and Airbus A380 soar, each weighing around 400 tons and 560 tons respectively. Yet, for many passengers, the journey begins long before they board these colossal machines. Preparation for a flight can start a few days before, including relaxing, packing calmly, and creating a comfortable atmosphere.
However, for some, the thought of flying can trigger feelings of unease, fear, or even sheer panic. Approximately a third of all passengers feel uneasy boarding a plane, and more than one in six experience panic when traveling by air. But fear not, for there are effective strategies to overcome flight anxiety.
One such approach is the use of cognitive-behavioral techniques. By identifying and challenging anxious, catastrophic thoughts like "the plane will crash," and replacing them with balanced, factual perspectives, fear can be significantly reduced.
Relaxation methods, such as deep breathing (e.g., box breathing), progressive muscle relaxation, meditation, and mindfulness, can help manage physical symptoms like a racing heart or dizziness. Another strategy is grounding exercises, using the 5-4-3-2-1 sensory method to reconnect to the present moment during anxiety spikes.
Distraction can also be beneficial, bringing engaging distractions such as books, music, or podcasts to divert attention during takeoff, landing, and turbulence. Education about how airplanes work, pilot training, and the rigor of air traffic control can build trust and reduce irrational fears about flying safety.
Gradual exposure, flying more frequently, helps some individuals adapt and lessen their fear over time. Self-care, staying fed and hydrated, avoids low blood sugar and dehydration, which can exacerbate anxiety symptoms during travel. Mental reset techniques, like the “STOP” method, can interrupt overwhelm and restore calmness.
In some cases, consultation with a healthcare professional for medication or therapeutic support is beneficial. Telling flight attendants that you suffer from flight anxiety can help, as their calm demeanor can be contagious.
Deep breathing exercises can help to stay calm during a flight, and can be practiced throughout the flight. Movement reduces stress hormones, so marching past all the gates at the airport can help. Some flight anxiety training programs offer seminars in cooperation with airlines, including accompanied flights to apply what you've learned.
It's important to carefully consider the offerings of a flight anxiety training program and talk to the trainer beforehand. These programs may provide information about anxiety, flight technology, and flight safety, as well as specific hypnosis techniques, cognitive behavioral therapy, exposure therapy, relaxation strategies, breathing exercises, and other techniques.
In the midst of these strategies, it's worth noting that the most dangerous part of flying might be the drive to the airport by car. Rushing to the airport stressed will immediately put your body in panic mode. Interestingly, a lightning strike doesn't necessarily harm the aircraft.
Narrow-sense flight phobia, or aviophobia, is a condition where even the thought of a flight triggers panic, leading to avoidance of flying. Flight anxiety is not just fear of flying, but a combination of claustrophobia, acrophobia, fear of loss of control, and fear of crashing.
In 2024, there were 46 airplane accidents with 244 fatalities, out of more than 40 million flights and around five billion passengers per year. Despite these statistics, the risk of dying in a plane crash is extremely low, at 0.06 per million flights.
With these strategies in hand, the skies can become a more welcoming place for those who once feared them.
- Practicing deep breathing exercises can help manage anxiety during a flight, aiding in maintaining a calm demeanor throughout the journey.
- By partaking in fitness-and-exercise activities before a flight, individuals can help reduce stress levels and prepare both physically and mentally for their travel.
- Seeking mental-health support, such as therapy or medication, can be beneficial for individuals dealing with aviophobia, or narrow-sense flight phobia, allowing them to overcome their fear and enjoy health-and-wellness benefits that travel can offer.
