Now it’s time to keep reading and see what you can do to make your flying experience better. Let’s get rid of that anxiety together using these tips.
Identify Triggers
The first step in easing your anxieties is to acknowledge that they’re there – and identify when they get awakened. Knowing your triggers can eventually help you overcome your fear. With the right work and motivation, you can manage your levels and dramatically reduce them.
Some popular triggers that you may have include:
- Turbulence
- Germs
- Onset panic attack
- Takeoff anxiety
- Landing anxiety
Visualize a Smooth Flight Ahead of Time
What the heck will visualizing your upcoming flight do? A lot, especially with the help of your imagination.
Here’s what you’re going to do: A few days or weeks before you hop aboard the booked flight, you’re going to set some time aside each night before bed, and follow these instructions:
- Get into a comfortable position and close your eyes for the entirety of this exercise.
- Drift into an imaginative meditation guided by your own mind.
- Envision yourself going to the airport, getting onto the plane feeling calm and relaxed.
- Be sure to include ALL of your senses. How does the plane sound while it’s trekking down the runway? What do you see through the window? How is your body responding to the movement?
- Take the imaginative scene in and deep breathe through it using any technique you deem appropriate.
- Once you feel ready, dip out of the visualization, reminding yourself every night how calm you are after the self-guided experience.
If Availability Allows, Pick an Aisle Seat
Being trapped at a window or middle seat can exacerbate your anxieties; you can start to feel claustrophobic which can intensify emotions, leading to full panic if left alone to fester.
Get ahead of the curve and choose an aisle seat when checking in 24 hours before your flight. That extra open space gives your psyche a metaphorical escape route – and a physical escape route if need be. Have to use the bathroom? Easy access. Need to get up and stretch your legs or get some more breathing room? No problem.
Practice Progressive Muscle Relaxation
As many already know, breathing exercises can slow the heart rate, ease the mind, and put you in a calming state. But how do you know which one to use on a flight?
There’s no real answer to the question we hypothetically asked. However, there is a method we prefer to lean on, just because it’s the most distracting.
PMR, or progressive muscle relaxation, combines deep breathing and physical relaxation to release muscular tension in the body. Begin by tensing up a small group of muscles – like your toes or fists – then hold for a count of 5. Exhale and simultaneously release that tension. From here, work up your body (if you started with your toes) or down your body (if you started with your fists).
A good point to keep in mind here: Practice PMR at home before the flight. That way when you board, you’ll be confident in your tension and release-tension movements.
Find a Distraction
Everyone is different, which means what works for you will not work for the next plane passenger. That’s totally OK, just trial and error it out.
A specific travel blogger that we came across on Travel + Leisure uses a piece of paper and a pen to transport her mind elsewhere. Nicole Ratner takes her notebook out and begins writing her name over and over again with her non-dominant hand. This action distracts her from the fear and keeps her mind focused.
You don’t have to choose something so far-out. Many guys and gals choose a movie, podcast, or playlist to listen to. Others read a book or try to color a few creative pages. You could even play a game on your phone or tablet like Sudoku or the crossword puzzle. To each their own, ya know?