Flying is one of the most exciting ways to travel, but if you’re like millions of people who struggle with aviophobia, then you know it comes with a hefty dose of anxiety. According to the National Library of Medicine, aviophobia, which is an intense fear of flying, affects roughly 40% of people from industrialized countries.
The good news is that you can absolutely tackle this fear, and the stress and anxiety that comes with it. In this article, we’ll walk you through five practical strategies that actually work.
Read on.
Table of Contents
1. Prepare Well in Advance
One of the biggest stressors before a flight isn’t even the flight itself; it’s the chaos before. You’re doing your last-minute packing, worried about forgetting something, dreading airport security lines, and certain that you’ll lose your luggage. It all piles on you even before you leave the house.
And, truth be told, some of these worries aren’t just in your head. According to a report cited by Yahoo News, between 2021 and 2024, more than 7.7 million bags were mishandled by American airline companies. That’s a lot of lost valuables.
The trick here is to plan well ahead and leave nothing to chance. The bottles of fancy wine for your hosts? Either ship them securely or learn the art of packing wine in a suitcase so it arrives intact.
According to All American Mail Center Inc., checked luggage can take a beating, so you want to be sure that the wine bottles can move or crack under pressure.
Knowing that your valuables are safe is one less thing to worry about, and when you’re an anxious flyer, that’s everything.
2. Pack Smart and Stay Organized
It’s one thing to prepare in advance, and it’s another to pack for your journey. Preparing minimizes the mental load you carry while packing smart deals with the physical luggage.
The goal here is to keep your travel essentials, including your passport, headphones, snacks, and any in-flight medications, close by and easily accessible. Why? Fumbling for your passport or your reading glasses only adds to the tension you’re already battling with.
You also want to travel as lightly as possible. Dealing with baggage check-ins, gate checks, or waiting to pick up your luggage at the carousel can also prolong the painful airport experience.
3. Familiarize Yourself with the Flight Experience
What is it about flying that truly makes you nervous? Is it the unfamiliar sounds? The turbulence? The feeling that you’re trapped in a metal capsule that you have no control over? Whatever the reasons, demystifying the flying process could help.
For instance, knowing that the Embraer ERJ ranks among the safest planes in the sky, and you happen to be in one, can be mildly comforting. Or learning that the middle and rear sections of a plane are considered safe areas might give you a small sense of relief.
Little details like these can come in handy when planning your trip and booking a flight. When you research the aircraft, seating, and flight patterns before you go, you replace uncertainty with knowledge. The more you know, the less anxious you’ll feel.
4. Practice Relaxation Techniques
There are times when you have to be intentional about how you manage fear and anxiety, and flying is one of those times. Even when everything is okay, your anxiety will tell your body that there’s an emergency, and if you’re not careful, you can transmit this fear to fellow flyers.
So, what can you do? Practice relaxation techniques. Take slow, deep breaths to calm yourself. Try the 4-7-8 method: inhale for four seconds, hold for seven, and exhale slowly for eight. Do this just before you board and moments before takeoff and landing, when anxiety is usually very high.
Listening to music while in the air also helps. The trick is to give your mind something to focus on.
5. Manage Your Health and Comfort
Here’s what many people don’t know: your physical state affects how you feel mentally. So, feeling dehydrated, hungry, or cramped will only make your anxiety worse.
No matter how much you love coffee, that third cup will only make you jittery in the air. Greasy food? You’re likely looking at a queasy stomach and frequent bathroom visits. Instead, drink lots of water so you don’t get dehydrated. Northwestern Medicine suggests a glass of water, which is about 8 ounces, for every one hour you’re in the air.
Also, eat light, digestible meals, wear comfortable clothing, and for heaven’s sake, stay away from alcohol.
Take Flight with Confidence
Air travel is statistically safe. In fact, it has been proven consistently that you’re safer in the sky than on the ground. But that doesn’t mean that your aviophobia or anxiety is all in your head. It’s very real, and hopefully, the strategies discussed in this article will help you combat it successfully.
