First off, I want to preface this by saying this article is in no way intended to be a replacement for professional medical or psychiatric advice. It is simply me offering advice on techniques that have helped me to become more comfortable with flying.

Over the last 10 years or so I have developed a fear of flying for some reason. When I was younger, I loved to fly as I got older though and saw few too many plane crashes on the news, experienced a bit more turbulence and crazy landings and I just slowly developed a fear of flying. So much so I have anxiety even a few days before I must fly. While I wouldn’t say I've cured my fear of flying by any means but here are a few tips that have helped me out immensely to be more comfortable on planes and flights.





1. Talk to pilots and people who are knowledgeable about planes: If you know someone who is very experienced with planes it would be good to talk to them, and preferably if possible, actually fly with them. Being around someone who is calm and listening to them talk about their experience can be helpful. Though it doesn’t feel like it to nervous flyers, flying is extremely safe and something you really shouldn’t be worried about.









2. Get noise canceling headphones and an eye mask: Getting a nice pair of noise canceling headphones can really help relax you while you’re on a plane. It will help to drown out the noise of the jet engines as well as people around you. Make a relaxing playlist of music that calms you and if you are watching something it will help you immerse in your show. Eye shades help with sleeping on a plane and relaxing, cutting out the melatonin from light is one the biggest helps to people who have a hard time falling asleep. Here is an inexpensive set of headphones that I really enjoy:





https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079L8DWDZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1









3. Read/watch material: There are several great resources about fear of flying both books and videos. I recommend this book by a former British Airways pilot and professional psychologist. There is also a great YouTube short video from the same person that is used on British Airways flights. Watch and learn how planes work and why they are safe, spend some time reading why your phobia is making you scared and learn some techniques to help.









4. Tell the people you are traveling with and the flight attendants: If you are traveling with friends or family let them know, usually if they are nice, they will help you out and can keep you relaxed. This is especially true if they aren’t afraid of flying. Friends can be a calming experience and I have found them to be very helpful. Letting a flight attendant know will also be helpful as they will check on you occasionally, and you can tell by their expressions that nothing is wrong with the flight. Remember they fly every day and are not afraid of flying (hopefully they aren't at least that’s a brutal career choice if you are).









5. Pay attention to where you sit on the plane if possible: I know it's not always possible to pick your seat if you are flying with someone like Spirit or basic economy on a better airline. If you can pick the seat try to focus on what bothers you about flying. If a bumpy flight really bothers you try to book a seat close to the wings because it will help to minimize the turbulence that you feel. Avoid seats in the back of the plane because they will generally be the most bumpy. If your trigger is more to due to issues with with claustrophobia or heights try to book an aisle seat so you have room to spread your legs and you won’t be constantly looking out the window. Obviously first class seats will be best but that isn’t practical for everyone, often an exit row or premium economy is a slight up charge but will offer a lot of extra room for not a ton of cost.









6. Learn your triggers: Try to figure out what exactly triggers you about flying. It can be one or several things and figure out how you can to deal with them. I think there’s a few things that a lot of people have trouble with: heights, not being in control, turbulence, claustrophobia, and a whole host of other things. Figuring out what exactly makes you so afraid of flying is important to figuring out what techniques might help become more comfortable during your travels.









7. Lift your feet up during takeoff: This one is kind of quirky but sometimes I've found that lifting your feet up during the take off helps ease the sensation of climbing a little bit. If take off is something that really bothers you this might be a simple thing to try that may help out a lot.









8. If all else fails speak to your doctor about potential medicine that can help you relax on a flight: If all else fails speak to a doctor or medical professional and see if they can prescribe you something that might help you relax a bit more. This is a last resort and something you really shouldn’t consider unless absolutely necessary. At this point any advice should be given from a medical professional and not this blog.