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How to Overcome Flight Anxiety

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Anxiety about flying is an extremely common phobia. It's also very problematic when flying is required for work or family commitments. However, you have some easy tools to make your fear manageable.


  1. 1
    Pinpoint the source. Understanding exactly what it is about flying that causes you anxiety will help you to find strategies to cope better and diminish the fear or worry that accompanies the reason. There are some typical things that worry people, such as sitting in a confined space without being able to leave at will; fear of an accident on take-off or landing; fear of an accident when in the air; anxiety about heights in general; close proximity to germs being recirculated through the airplane; lack of control over handling the airplane, etc. By deciding what combination of these sorts of factors bothers you, you can start to deconstruct the fear with solid facts and answers.
  2. 2
    Educate yourself. Find facts to soothe your fears. If you know how rare airplane crashes are, for example, you can soothe yourself by repeating in your head how high your odds are of arriving safely.
    • Pick a statistically safe airline. You can check out such a source at: http://www.airsafe.com/events/nofatals.htm. It's easier to calm yourself when you know the airline you're flying on has never had an accident or has avoided accidents through the skills of the pilots, strength of its safety drills and good maintenance of the aircraft in its fleet. Willingness to pull aircraft for maintenance despite the adverse publicity may be another sign you're dealing with a good airline if it has not previously had a spate of problems; it shows the airline takes safety issues seriously.
    • Learn safety tips. Knowing you're prepared for a disaster, no matter how improbable, is comforting. This means reading the supplied safety information and watching the in-flight demonstration. No matter how many times you may have flown before, don't shut out the demonstration. Recollecting it in an emergency could save your life. Moreover, aircraft are modified and get changed over the years, so safety measures may have changed since you last flew and you need to be up-to-date about what safety measures exist now. So listen carefully!
    • If you have unanswered questions, simply talk to the airline staff. They will understand if you're nervous, so don't try to cover it up by being cheeky or rude, as safety is taken very seriously on-board.
  3. 3
    Mentally practice. In a safe, comfortable spot, close your eyes and visualize the process of taking the flight. Imagine the whole process going smoothly, from the security checkpoints to baggage claim at your destination.
  4. 4
    Create a soothing routine while waiting for your flight. Make sure it's something you can repeat in the air if needed. Meditate, do some some seated yoga, or repeat a favorite poem or prayer to yourself.
  5. 5
    Distract yourself . Bring along a good book, favorite music, or an activity (such as a sudoku book, a portable sketch kit, or needlepoint). Concentrate on your activity instead of the fact you're on the plane.
    • If your plane comes with on-board flight tracking, watch it. It can be reassuring to see where the plane is in the world, especially if you feel a lack of control.
  6. 6
    Travel with someone if possible. Having someone who doesn't much mind flying accompany you can be reassuring. Besides, you'll have someone to chat away with instead of focusing on the plane all the time.

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  • Watch the flight crew. They fly everyday and so will be talking and/or smiling through every little bump which to the anxious flyer feels like the plane going down.
  • If you have a travel companion, make sure they're calm about flying!


  • If your anxiety is severe, and you're experiencing panic attacks or a debilitating fear of travel, seek professional help.

Article Info

Categories: Fear of Flying

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