You already probably know that flying is actually the safest way to travel. There are fewer plane related deaths than any other transportation. Bus travel is far more dangerous than flying as the lawyers Lamber Goodnow can tell you. The problem is that a phobia like flying is not based on rational thinking so it doesn’t matter if people tell you it’s safe and the statistics back it up. Yes, a road trip is probably more likely to result in an accident than flying to your destination, you know this already.
The best way to get over your fear of flying is to tackle the phobia head on and just travel. Read on for some of the tips that can help you get to where you’re going by plane.
Research the plan you’ll be taking
Having a sort of totem that you can use to substitute your fear can be helpful. Take the model of the plane for instance. If you are going to be flying an Airbus, then research where the bathrooms are, what the seating is like. Take a look at pictures of the cockpit, etc. This will take some of the fear out of flying as you are essentially grounding yourself, no pun intended. The more you know about the flight, the less you are thinking about what could happen.
Practice breathing
Focusing on breathing can be a great exercise in resetting your mind. It takes the thoughts away from your fear and focuses them on your breathing.
When you are successful at breathing exercises, you are putting yourself in a meditative state which can banish the fear from your mind. Practice this before the flight to make it a habit. Anytime you are feeling anxiety about the trip then use that as an occasion to practice.
Then do these exercises before and even during the flight when you feel the anxiety coming on again.
Get to the airport early
When you rush around you tend to be anxious anyway. Even those who aren’t afraid of flying will be anxious if they are pressed for time.
When you get to the airport early you are able to kill two birds with one stone. First, you have plenty of time and don’t have the added stress of running for your flight and worrying about getting through security.
The second important factor is that you are able to see planes take off and land and normalise that in your mind. The more time you have to process the fear in the environment of an airport the better.
Get professional help
If you have tried these things and more to beat your fear of flying and you still keep coming around to this anxiety when you fly, then you probably need a professional.
Through various forms of therapy you should be able to beat this phobia with some professional help. In the absolute worst case scenario, they can give you a pill to take foryour anxiety before you fly.
