10 Tips For Managing The Fear Of Flying

Approximately 40% (!) of the general population reports a fear of flying, so if you fall into that category know that you are not alone at all! And the good news? There are great ways of coping with, and managing, that fear when it comes up. Below are 10 tips for you, with much of the advice coming straight from a Southwest Airlines flight attendant!

1) Educate yourself on the safety of planes. Commercial aircrafts go through extensive safety testing! Here are a few tests they have to pass before takeoff:

• Wing flexibility testing

• Temperature and altitude testing

• Velocity minimum unstick testing

• Brake testing

2) Ask to meet the pilot. Get a flight attendant to assist you in meeting them and tell the pilot you are a nervous flyer. He or she may then be more likely to make more announcements and more detailed announcements during the flight to help ease your mind.

3) Do not take Xanax or drink alcohol when you fly. It can make you more nervous and/or make you feel more uncomfortable.

• Furthermore, avoid too much caffeine or sugar before flying as they are likely to contribute to a spike in cortisol levels. 

4) Think about turbulence like a boat going over a wave or a car going over a bump or pothole. Turbulence also occurs when different air temperatures meet. For example, if there is a heat wave in LA the hotter air around LA will eventually meet cooler air along the ride creating a “bump” that the plane has to “drive”, or fly, over. In addition, turbulence can occur when one plane passes another like a boat wake.

5) Know that planes never fly side by side. They are always directed to fly a safe, and significant, distance above or below and to the right and left part of the plane that you are in.

6) Put things into perspective. Here is a rather morbid but revealing statistic - your odds of being in a fatal car crash are 19 times higher than being in a fatal plane crash!

7) Meditate before flying. So much of fear is simply looping mental chatter that needs a chance to be revealed and released. Meditation is proven to reduce stress quite drastically. 

“How does meditation reduce anxiety?

Activation of the anterior cingulate cortex—the area that governs thinking and emotion—is the primary region believed to influence a decrease in anxiety. These findings provide evidence that mindfulness meditation attenuates anxiety through mechanisms involved in the regulation of self-referential thought processes.” - Psychology Today

8) Choose a seat that will make you feel the most comfortable. If you get claustrophobic, choose an exit row seat. Would it make you feel better to see land below? Choose a window seat. Would it help you to sit close to the flight crew? Choose a seat toward the front of the plane.

You can even ask to “Pre-Board”- this is always okay on Southwest Airlines because you require a “special seat”, one that is upfront where it is a much smoother ride. The back of the plane feels bumpier and experiences the brunt of turbulence.

This should also be okay on other airlines due to the “Disability Act”. Passengers are allowed to pre-board if they have a special need or disability. Flight Attendants are not allowed to ask any questions but if needed you could always say that you have difficulty standing for long periods or that you get dizzy when nervous.

9) Get as much sleep as you can. Bring everything you need to get super cozy and maximise the potential for falling asleep and staying asleep. Ask the flight attendant to leave a snack for you if you’re worried about missing the service!

10) Finally, hypnosis is one of the most powerful tools out there for holistically healing the fear (or phobia) of flying! Hypnosis gets to the root of the issue within the subconscious and helps us identify and rewire the thinking that causes so much anxiety. During a hypnotherapy session, you are guided through a gentle and relaxing process to induce a trance-like state that helps you to focus and respond more easily to suggestions. 

“Hypnosis is a very powerful means of changing the way we use our minds to control perception and our bodies.” - Dr Spiegel | Stanford

So, next time you are preparing for take off and find yourself feeling fearful/anxious, revisit these tips and know that you are in control!