Overcome Your Fear of Flying Now Using 5 Easy Methods

Even experienced flyers still get anxious before takeoff and landing. Fear of flying, like most fears, operates on a scale. Some people just need a moment to collect their thoughts and reassure themselves. Meanwhile, other people need to fight off a panic attack before every flight. Whether you’ve been diagnosed with flying anxiety or not, use these steps when you need to be present and aware in-the-moment. And hey! Everything’s going to be okay.

Disclaimer: This Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

The 5-4-3-2-1 Exercise

When you begin to feel anxious, tell yourself “I see…” and list five things that you see. Then, say “I hear…” and list five things that you hear. Afterward, say “I feel…” and list five things that you feel (through touching, not emotionally). For example:

• Begin with “I see a woman, I see a child, I see a hat, I see a door, I see a chair.”
• Then, “I hear people walking, I hear glasses clinking, I hear papers shuffling, I hear someone laughing, I hear birds singing.”
• Lastly, “I feel the fabric of my shirt, I feel my hair, I feel my ring, I feel my wrist, I feel the wind in my face.”

After reciting 5 things that you see, hear, and feel, repeat the exercise with 4 things, 3 things, 2 things, and then just 1 thing. It may take a minute or two, but I’ve found this exercise keeps me grounded in reality. I become aware of just how many things nearby that are not a threat or inherently stressful.

Feed Your Confidence, Not Your Flying Anxiety

Before flying, make sure that you’ve had a healthy and nutritious meal. Having a decent meal at a brand restaurant at an airport will be pricey, but you’re investing in your well-being. Hunger is an anxiety trigger (source: https://bit.ly/3i18rXG), but it’s an easy one to control. Always pack emergency snacks just in case!

Avoid stimulants! I know we all seem to have a pretty bad coffee addiction these days. Do everything you can to avoid it 12 hours before your flight and especially during your flight. The same goes for caffeinated tea, tea extracts, weight loss supplements, energy drinks, and even sugary soft drinks.

Try to limit alcohol as best you can. Alcohol can have a relaxing effect, but having even a slight buzz can be jarring should you hit turbulence. Then, with more stress hormones being produced, trying to be present and aware will be much harder.

Lastly, drink plenty of water before and during (bottled preferably) your flight. Airline cabins are super dry, with pressurized air blowing all around you, if not directly on you. We all dehydrate during the course of a flight. While dehydration may not be a trigger for your flying anxiety, staying hydrated is key to reducing your anxiety symptoms. We don’t know just how thirsty we really are until we’ve had a sip of water. So, take sips periodically. Your body will thank you.

Don’t Dwell On Your Fear Of Flying

When the flight is going smoothly, and you don’t necessarily need to be present and aware at the moment, don’t dwell on your fear! Feel free to distract yourself. Here are some of my favorite ways:

Low-Thrill Gaming

Old-school classics like Sudoku, Tetris, and Solitaire have the unique ability to gobble up hours of time while keeping the learning curve pretty low making them great for flying. These particular games are also found pretty much everywhere for cheap. Sometimes, they’re in the in-flight entertainment system for free!

Chill Music

While some music can be anxiety-inducing, both Apple Music and Spotify have “Sleep” playlists that are a dream to listen to (sorry, couldn’t avoid the pun). They feature Lo-Fi instrumental hip-hop most prominently, which sounds like you’re in some cool luxury product commercial. Though you could use them to fall asleep, they are quite relaxing even if you intend to stay awake. Be sure to save the playlists to your phone or tablet before takeoff so you don’t need internet access to listen.

While we’re on the subject, if you’re looking for the best headphones for a flight, check out this excellent pair by Sony (As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases – https://amzn.to/32YG7Be). I love the great bass response, colors that don’t scream “steal me,” their comfort, and superior noise-canceling abilities. Worth every penny!

Light Reading

Let me just address the big mistake people make here. Don’t read something you don’t normally read. Bringing a major epic novel on a plane when you normally read quick and efficient blog articles isn’t going to happen the way you think it will and the weight of carrying that novel around will be even more painful than trying to get through it. Read what you tend to read! If you want to challenge yourself, just try a more dense version of what you like to read. For example, if you read The New York Times, try a few articles from The New Yorker. If you read short stories, try a novella. You see where I’m going with this.

That being said, reading is an excellent way to keep your mind engaged while not dwelling on your flying anxiety. If you want to read, but don’t want to carry books around on your trip, check out Kindle’s Top Sellers or Audible’s Top Sellers to find popular digital ebooks and audiobooks accessible on virtually any device.

Tingly ASMR Videos

Have you heard of ASMR? It’s a phenomenon that occurs when we hear certain soft sounds a certain way, giving us “tingly” sensations that are quite satisfying and deeply relaxing. It’s intimate and personal, though not intentionally sexual (fair warning, some ‘ASMRtists’ may not entirely grasp this concept). If you’re settling in for a long flight and you’re looking to drift away, be sure to download some of these videos before your next flight. They work wonders.

Get Support

A great distraction from your fear of flying that still keeps you relatively present and aware is simply support from your fellow travelers. Whether they are family, friends, the flight crew, or even your seatmate, letting others know that you have a fear of flying and might need their help during the flight is not only incredibly brave, but you’ve opened doors to support systems that may not have been there before. You can even let your airline know about your fear of flying at check-in and they will do everything in their power to accommodate you.

Have conversations with your family and friends. Ask for permission from seatmates if they’d like to have a conversation. Remember, some people are more private than others and that’s okay. Keep the topics accessible and try to balance the amount of dialog between you. Nobody likes having one-sided conversations. Avoid discussing the flight unless you need reassurance in-the-moment (e.g. “What was that sound?” “They’re lowering the landing gear.” “Oh, gotcha.”). When you land, be sure to thank those who helped you.

Understand Your Fear By Visualizing Your Triggers

“Knowledge is power,” right? Well… what kind of knowledge? Sometimes we try to use logic and reason to get to the root cause of our fears. Unfortunately, in the heat of the moment, logic doesn’t always come first. What does beat fear to the punch is the visualization of the problem. If we can visualize what’s happening, we can become familiar and comfortable more quickly than if we try to think everything through.

According to Captain Tom Bunn LCSW, head of the SOAR program for flying anxiety management, a common trigger for people with a fear of flying is the experience of turbulence. In his workshops, he suggests to simply imagine a toy airplane suspended in Jell-O. As an airplane takes off, it reaches speeds where the surrounding air compresses and begins to feel like the density of Jell-O. This is how the airplane begins to lift upwards and what keeps the plane in the air. Just like Jell-O, turbulence is when the surrounding air jiggles as pressures and drafts mingle in the atmosphere. The plane is simply moving with it. I like this example because it helps me normalize the experience of turbulence with imagery I can think of in-the-moment.

You can use visualization to calm other triggers too. The clangs of landing gear retracting on takeoff are aided by imagining the landing gear actually doing this while you hear the accompanying sounds. Visualizing (or looking out the window!) to see the wing flaps descending before landing helps understand the sounds of rushing air. These and others are meant to familiarize you with the sounds of takeoff and landing, calming your flying anxiety before it starts!

Conclusion

Of course, there are more than just five methods to tackle flying anxiety. Remember, if you feel you need more help, trust that there are professional, dedicated avenues you can pursue. The above five methods are merely inspiration for people whose fear of flying has become a point of hesitation with regard to travel. I firmly believe that travel is one of the best things a person can do with their time. We should never let anything get in our way of that, including ourselves.

Hopefully, you’re feeling a little more prepared to take that next step. Want to stay cool and confident once you reach your destination? Be sure to check out my article on 15 Simple Tips For Safe Travel Anywhere In The World.

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