Flight Anxiety and How To Get Over It

The symptom of flight anxiety includes nervousness, restlessness, and worry before boarding flight and during the flight. But we have the good news for you that will help you to remove your flight anxiety and fly without any fear. You can overcome your flight anxiety through proper knowledge of flights, factors causing anxiety, and safety factors to increase your confidence. This blog provides you information about what flight anxiety is and tips to overcome flight anxiety. The factor that triggers fear of flying and ways to manage it for comfortable and confident flying are provided.  

Understanding Flight Anxiety: Why Do People Fear Flying?

Flight anxiety is fear of flying also known as aerophobia. It is a common fear people have when thinking about flying or during a flight journey. Flight anxiety is rooted in having fear of catastrophe and lack of control which is further triggered by conditions such as turbulence, past trauma, and panic attacks. The common causes of flight anxiety are explained below:

• Lack of control: The fear regarding loss of aircraft control, feeling of vulnerabilities, and panic attacks during flight triggers fear among the air travelers.
• Claustrophobia: Many passengers develop fear and discomfort as they sit in confined space. As aircrafts have confined space, it triggers fear factors among passengers.
• Fear of height: As aircraft fly higher in the air, you may develop flight anxiety especially if you have fear of height.
• Turbulence: Turbulence is one of the major factors that contribute to developing flight among individuals. The condition of turbulence is caused due to sudden change in airflow that makes aircraft experience shaking and jolting movements.
• Past experience: The past experience of turbulence, flight crash, and bad experience can also increase fear among the passengers.
• Media and news: News and media reports related to air crashes and casualties also contribute to flight anxiety among the passengers. 

Why Turbulence Is Normal

It is important to know that turbulence is normal during flight that is caused by changes in airflow. It is just like the jerk and bump you experience while driving on the road. When you experience turbulence, don’t panic as it is normal. In fact, you must follow safety instructions by your airline’s crew to prevent injuries during the turbulence.

In addition to safety instruction, it is also crucial to understand that, aircrafts are designed to handle turbulence more than we face during normal flight. Pilots and entire crew members are also highly trained to handle turbulence situations. Overall, understanding turbulence and following the safety instruction safely helps in stress free flight. 

Practical Tips to Overcome Flight Anxiety

You can overcome flight anxiety by following practical tips and make your journey comfortable. Following breathing techniques, choosing right seats, and distracting mind helps to remove or manage aerophobia. 

Practice Breathing Techniques

Practicing breathing exercises and techniques is important for reducing anxiety and keeping yourself calm. Try simple exercise by inhaling slowly through your nose, holding it for a few seconds and exhaling slowly through your mouth. Following the breathing technique repeatedly helps in calming you down while minimizing flight anxiety.  

Choose the Right Seat

Prefer choosing window seat and seat near wings as these seats distract your mind by providing views, scenarios, and stable experience during turbulence. The window seat also minimizes claustrophobia, a fear of confined spaces.

Distract Your Mind

Another tip you can follow to manage fear during flight is distracting your mind. Instead of focusing on flight and creating imaginary stories in your mind, you can engage in conversation with your fellow passenger or watch movies, read books, or listen to music.

Avoid Anxiety Triggers

Avoid anxiety triggering factors to keep yourself calm during the flight. Prohibit consuming caffeine before and during flight as it triggers anxiety by increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and adrenaline rush. Also, being hydrated and getting enough sleep helps to maintain a calm mood during flight.

Understanding Aircraft Safety

Along with following practical tips to remove flight anxiety, understanding aircraft safety also helps you to remove fear related to flying. Knowing the flight safety protocol and modern aircraft safety helps you to build your confidence. Modern aircrafts are engineered in such a way that they can handle turbulence of higher intensity than what we feel normally.

Also, pilots and cabin crew are also trained in such a way that they can efficiently and effectively handle issues and complexities in flights. When considering factors like flight safety, aircraft engineering, and trained cabin crew, air travel is one of the safest and most reliable modes of transportation.

Choose Reliable Airlines

Whether you are travelling via international or domestic flights, choosing reliable airlines that focus on safety gives peace of mind. Book trusted airlines that have a good record of safety, comfort, and modern aircrafts. It helps you to minimize your fear by boosting your confidence through building trust in airlines and their experienced crews.

Conclusion

Flight anxiety or fear of flight is one of the common factors that everyone experiences during their first or regular flights. Minimizing or removing the fear of flight is possible and important for a comfortable and stress-free journey. Following practical tips such as practicing breathing techniques, choosing right seats, managing anxiety trigger factors, and distracting your mind during flight helps you to remove or manage flight anxiety. Understanding turbulence and aircraft safety helps in peace of mind and develop trust. Additionally, choosing reliable airlines and booking flights through trusted flight booking partners like Flights Nepal further increase your confidence and trust during the flight