We work hard the whole year just for the sake of collecting more money in order to afford a vacation. No one can deny that traveling is just the most restoring and fun thing to do!
In fact, traveling is that one and only adventure that gives you the opportunity to get lost in beautiful unknown destinations and find your lost soul once again! It is always exciting to book your ticket, pack your luggage, and passionately start the countdown!
However, some travelers lose the excitement once the flight date is close and might even think of canceling their flight reservation while others decide to fly but still their fear of flying makes it quite hard for them to enjoy the trip. They become highly anxious, stressed, and might even experience panic attacks.
the fear of flying!
Download A Mindfulness App
One of the most effective ways to enjoy your flight and get rid of the negative feelings such as anxiety and fear is mindfulness. Some of you might find it really surprising as you might have the habit to always associate mindfulness practices with food, right!
The truth is mindfulness can help you greatly overcome your fear of flying and allow you to enjoy your long-awaited trip. How can you practice mindfulness on a flight? Well, that’s very easy!
There are actually many mindfulness applications available in the app store. All you need to do is download them and follow the instructions. These apps are proven to be very useful in helping travelers control their phobias, including fear of flying!
Some of these mindfulness applications, we find the Headspace app. This one offers many guides on how you can manage your anxiety when flying and help you calm down your nerves through meditation.
Another good application is Calm, which offers a collection of a long list of sleep stories that can help you relax and sleep. For better results and extra benefits, try to practice mindfulness in the days running up to your trip! You will be really greateful!
TRY TO DISTRACT YOURSELF
Another smart way to get over your fear of flying is by distracting yourself ! Trust me this is really effective and can make your trip less stressful and much easier! So, before you ever step on that plane, make sure you come armed with your own personal entertainment options. Don’t rely on those offered on the flight as you might find them boring!
Bring anything that will make you busy and entertained such as a new interesting book, a magazine, your most favorite tv shows and movies downloaded on your laptop or smartphone.The object here is to distract your attention and give not a chance for the negative emotions to control you!
GET TO THE BOTTOM OF YOUR FEAR
The best way to solve any type of problem is by figuring out the reasons or factors that lead to it. The same applies to this issue ‘’ Fear of Flying’’. You need to figure out what makes flying a scary experience and why you feel so nervous and anxious when you are on board.
Understanding the nature of your fear and the reasons why you have such negative feelings can help you address the issue properly, therefore, find the right solutions to overcome it successfully!
While you might be suffering from aviophobia, which is known as the fear of flying, other travelers might experience something called claustrophobia, which is the fear of confined spaces.
A piece of advice: before you ever plan your next trip, make sure you fix this issue and think about the real causes. You should not take this psychological condition for granted as it is really serious and need to be addressed!
BREATHE
Your breath gets shallow and fast, your hands are shaking, you are feeling extremely nervous, and feel like losing your control and even worse you have nothing you can use to distract your attention and calm down. No worries !
you can come back to your normal state as soon as you breathe! Oh yes, breathing is one of the effective ways that can help you relax in on a plane in case you know how to do it properly. This technique of breathing requires you to take focus on exhaling rather than inhaling.
So, whenever you are on a flight and feel anxious, try to slow down your breath, inhale and then exhale. Another technique is to exhale fully and then take a deep breath, hold it for a couple of seconds and then again deeply exhale. You can keep repeating this technique until you calm down and feel better.
GET TO THE AIRPORT EARLY
When you are traveling, always make sure you get early to the airport. We all know how stressful airports can be and not being there on time can put you under real pressure, which can worsen your psychological state.
Plan your time carefully and allow much time to get to the airport. Even better, ask your friend or a family member to give you a lift. Once you are at the airport, don’t waste time, instead, go straight through security so that you’re settled and get ready to board your flight!
Again, another thing you should put in mind is to avoid caffeine beverages as they can make your stress even worse. A better idea would be taking some time to have a look at the shops there or just treat yourself in duty-free!
CHOOSE THE MOST COMFORTABLE SEAT
If you are a claustrophobic traveler, then, you might take this fact into consideration when you are booking or buy your flight ticket. For a traveler suffering from this psychological condition, sitting in the aisle or next to a window is more comfortable, therefore, you should not hesitate to contact the airline to find out the options available. It is true that this means paying some extra dollars but it’s worth it!
Some new airplanes are even offering beds in economy class on overnight flights. well, not really fancy beds as the ones you can get in first class but still, they are useful!Otherwise, you can explain your issue to the flight attendants when you get on the plane and see if it’s okay to change your seat. they would definitely understand and might help you!
MAKE SURE YOU BRING AN EARPLUGS AND EYE MASKS
Some travelers find it really hard to take overnight flights. It makes them feel even more nervous, stressed, and anxious. The best thing we suggest is to bring your own comfortable earplugs and eye masks so that you can use them on the plane.
The latter would help you relax and would also function as a signal to flight attendants and fellow passengers not to disturb you while you are taking some rest. As for the formal, the earplugs can help you avoid hearing the loud noises of the plane
SEEK A FLIGHT ATTENDANT
Whether you are suffering from aviophobia or claustrophobia or any other fear associated with flying, don’t hesitate to talk about it with your flight attendant. You don’t need to feel embarrassed. It’s okay to share your fears as this might be really helpful.
Whenever feel like getting nervous while flying, seek the help of the nearest steward as she or he might provide you with some useful tips they have learned from their experience that can help you calm down and feel more comfortable.
TRY ACUPRESSURE
This way of relieving feelings of stress and anxiety may sound a bit weird but some travelers say that it actually works. Since there is no harm in trying, try to do it days prior to your flight and see how well it works with you. If you find it useful, do it when you fly!
This way is about finding the pressure point on the back of the hand which is located right at the base of the thumb’s bones and forefingers and press on it. This pressure point is said to be connected with anxiety and you can know that you have successfully found it when you have that peculiar and weird sensation when pressing on it!
Be patient as it might take you some good time to finally find this pressure point and it’s only with practice that you become perfect, right!
TAKE A FEAR OF FLYING COURSE
If you try all these suggestions but still couldn’t get over your fears, it’s time to look seriously at your issue and seek some professional help. These negative, torturing feelings of anxiety not only ruin your moments but also impact your health!
The good news, some airlines offer a very tempting cure for fliers who fear flying and which is ‘’fear of flying courses’’. Is this even possible? oh, yes, it is. In fact, some airlines, such as the British Airways, Virgin, and EasyJet, as well as some airports do offer this kind of courses.
The latter are led by a group of pilots, crew, psychologists, and trained professionals that are ready to closely examine your issue, answer your questions and show you how to get overcome your fears!
Unfortunately, these courses only take place few time a year, so if you are interested, make sure you book a place well in advance!