Our tips to help you remain calm when flying

Some love the thrill of flying – everything from the taking off, to the turbulence, to landing. But for many of us, flying isn’t a fun experience. The thought of being so far up with nothing in-between you and the ground but distance isn’t a nice thought. So we panic; we become anxious and start to think of all the things that could go wrong.

To help you remain as calm as possible during your flight we’ve put together a few tips.

Don’t hide your fear

The first thing to know is that being afraid of flying isn’t anything to be ashamed of. When you board the plane inform flight attendants and the passengers around you of your fear. Then they’ll be able to do everything in their power to make you feel comfortable. The support of a flight attendant – someone who flies thousands of miles every day – is going to make your flying experience a much more enjoyable one.

Distract yourself

Our fears are at their worst when we sit a concentrate on them. And it’s hard not to. They’re often at the forefront of our minds. But do everything and anything you can to take your mind away from your worry. Watch the in-flight film – even if you’ve already seen it a million times; put your head in a book; plug headphones in. Whatever you think will work for you.

Breathing techniques

Taking control of your breathing works wonders with your nerves. Try some breathing exercises before you board and during the flight to help calm yourself down. There are a few exercises, but two to start with straight off the bat are:

Yogic Breathing: Exhale twice as long as you normally would counting up to eight and then take a deep breath in. Simple. Yoga teaches that when you’re breathing in you should concentrate on the rising of the stomach first, then the ribcage, and finally the throat. Then the reverse as you exhale. If nothing else it’ll help take your mind off the flight ahead of you.

7-3-7-3 Breathing: This is a very simple exercise. All you do is inhale and count for seven seconds, hold for three seconds, then exhale for a count of seven seconds, and hold for three before breathing in again.

Get the right seat

Many people only notice their fear during turbulence. If you’re one of these people try to get a seat as close to the front of the plane as possible. This is where turbulence is felt less; the back where it’s felt most.

Take part in classes

There are courses available for people who suffer from a fear of flying. These course help you overcome the fear through varying techniques and often end with a flight so you can try out your new calm inducing techniques!

Good luck!