Some people love the experience of flying while others find it a boring necessity in order to travel to far-away destinations. Some people, however, find flying to be stressful and scary. If you experience anxiety while flying, you’re not alone. According to Cleveland Clinic, about 25 million adults in the United States suffer from aerophobia, or a fear of flying. This condition isn’t necessarily a fear of your plane crashing, but rather an intense feeling of anxiety when anticipating a flight and while thinking about flying.
While aerophobia can make flying a stressful experience, there are a few ways you can ease your anxiety. According to WebMD, knowing your triggers is an important part of overcoming your fear of flying. Some people, for example, are afraid of airplane turbulence while others only experience anxiety during takeoff. Once you have figured out what triggers your aerophobia, you can try to find relaxation techniques to lower your anxiety levels when you think about or experience flying. Some popular relaxation methods include yoga, meditation, and listening to soothing music.
Other ways to ease anxiety while flying
According to NBC News, it can be helpful for anxious flyers to understand how safe flying really is. Flying is one of the safest ways to travel, with there being only a one in 11 million chance of being involved in some sort of accident. Airplanes are also held to high safety standards. Even knowing those facts, some people may still deal with intrusive thoughts that make them nervous about flying. When this is the case, Ora Nadrich, a certified mindfulness meditation instructor and life coach, suggests using a technique called “release and replace.”
“You take a thought like, ‘I’m afraid to fly because I think the plane will crash,’ and replace it with something like, ‘I am aware that flying frightens me, but I believe I will be fine and the plane will not crash.’ By doing this exercise repeatedly, you will feel less anxiety because your positive thought will override your negative thought,” she told NBC News.
Another good way to improve your flying experience is to distract yourself while on the plane. Listen to music, read a book, or watch a movie on your phone anytime you begin to feel nervous. If you’re having a really hard time flying without feeling anxious, you may want to speak to your doctor about your concerns.
