Chocks Away: How To Deal With The Fear Of Flying!

My friends and family would laugh at the sight of this post. I have never been on a plane (in the air at least) and am terrified of the very thought of being thousands of feet up into the air. However, as such a common problem, I thought it would be worth going over some ways we can combat the infamous fear of flying so many of us have.

How To Overcome The Fear Of Flying

While researching, I found that many airline sites give information on how to deal with the fear (notably British Airways), many stating it begins with your breathing. Like most relaxation techniques, it is suggested you focus solely on breathing. Holding your breath for a few seconds when you get nervous, lowering your heart rate, and then breathing in and out in long, drawn out breaths.

Many fear an airplane crash rather than actually flying. If this is you, take a look at this statistic:

To die in a plane crash on your exact route, you would have to fly every day for 14, 716 years.

The chances of you being unfortunate enough to be caught up in an air crash is very, very, unlikely. So take your focus away from the negativity, and distract yourself. Use a book, magazine, even a game to distract yourself for the journey. Like breathing, this is another relaxation exercise I too, use for certain situations. If you are nervous even after take-off, you can tell the cabin crew, don't feel ashamed, I can guarantee that someone on the same flight has already told them that they are nervous too, it isn't rare. If still, after various travels you aren't getting used to it, or it's preventing you leaving from holidays, leisurely trips, or business trips, it's time to seek professional help. As such a common fear, there will always be people out there able to help you with your specific needs, from talking therapy to plane simulation. Many of the courses aren't actually that long either, some only requiring a day to complete the course from start to finish. Publicity of plane crashes is probably the main contributor to flight anxiety, we never hear of any successful plane journeys, simply because there's so many of them!

Whilst on the plane, getting to sit near the front is said to be beneficial to nervous passengers, being able to see out of the front window doesn't only help calm nerves, but helps passengers to be able to see what is going on in front of them, and that there is no threat, especially if you are susceptible to getting nervous if you feel little bumps during the journey. As much as you may need a drink after getting that typical nervous dry throat, steer clear of caffeine. It is known to contribute to anxiety, particularly panic attacks.

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Did You Know?

British Politician, Michael Gove, suffered with the fear of flying, and went under hypnosis back in 2013 to cure it.
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Watch this video during your trip if you're struggling to find distraction:

★ Fear Of Flying Help Video By Virgin Flying Without Fear Team - Virgin Flying Without Fear

Well, are you ready? Take a practice trip to somewhere not too far from home, organise a day where you and some friends or family can take this trip, and be honest with them about your worries if they're not already known. Tell the cabin crew on the plane how you are feeling, you are one of many, many people they see daily with the same problem, there really is nothing to be embarrassed about! Remind yourself of the statistic written further up in the post, and that there is no real threat, you've done the tough part by getting on board! After the journey, you can celebrate what you've overcome in your new holiday destination!