Long drive ahead and you’re tired? Flights are expensive? Want to go somewhere but don’t have enough days off when factoring in travel? No problem! You could literally get off work, change your clothes, snap your fingers and be eating a savory meal in a quaint restaurant overlooking a gorgeous blue sea in Greece then be back in time for your 11 PM bedtime.
But alas, that is just a fairytale and the reality is that in order to get to many of the places that our hearts desire to visit, we must travel on an airplane. A few years ago, I could get on a plane and, for the most part, not think a thing of it. I had moved eight hours away from home right after college for a travel job, so flying became the norm to get me to work and to see my family, friends, and long-distance boyfriend (now husband).
I was comfortable on a plane and would book flights, get to the airport, take off, and land without fear. Minor turbulence didn’t bother me and I even remember consoling others who traveled less often and were afraid of things like that weird smell that the plane sometimes gets or the white “clouds” that fill the plane when they are trying to cool it off when it’s extremely hot outside before takeoff.
While I historically had a few not-so-great flight experiences, they weren’t anything that deterred me too bad mentally from getting on a plane. However, as you can probably assume based on this post, at some point this ease faded and I found myself less than thrilled with the idea of flying.
My flight anxiety began right before the pandemic in January 2020. I had a five-week rotation in NYC that required me to fly each Monday morning into LaGuardia- did anyone else shudder? I would then return home to Charlotte on Friday evenings. On week one, my first flight into NYC for this rotation, I had turbulence that was so bad that I half joked with my fellow rotators that I wasn’t coming back. I stuck it out; however, but unfortunately, the majority of my flights were also not ideal, and there was one in particular that scared the pants off of everyone and made me quite literally kiss the floor when I got home.
I think I would’ve gotten over this if it weren’t for the fact that all of these poor flight experiences were happening simultaneously with the declaration of the pandemic, first sights of masks (remember how scary that was?), and fear- and uncertainty-filled conversations and decisions that came with being in such a highly populated area during this time.
All of these bad experiences mixed together in my brain with the notion that flying and traveling wasn’t safe, meant for a perfect storm of events to convince myself that I was afraid of flying. In fact, it wasn’t until May 2021 that I finally got the courage to get on a plane again (and this is considering the millions of trips I chose to drive to PA in order to plan for my 2020 wedding) and this came with feeling like I was going to pass out while boarding and mentally coaxing myself and practicing my breathing to get my heart rate down from the 113 that it was at when we were taking off…
Now I’ve flown twice since then, each time of which has gotten better, and I find myself in the place where, as long as the flight is relatively calm, I can keep myself under control using a few of my tried and true techniques. Let’s be honest, flight anxiety sucks and can be quite crippling to your Pinterest boards and wanderlust dreams so I’m here to share what has and does help me in hopes of helping someone else out there too who experiences the same thing.
Whether you’re a generally anxious flyer or have had a bad plane experience, the key here is to identify your triggers and prevent them to the greatest extent possible. Without further ado, here are my top 10 tips for combatting flight anxiety:
1. Avoid Caffeine Before the Flight
I know Starbucks is tempting, trust me, but getting your heart beating fast to start will only make matters worse. If you want a warm, cozy alternative, chamomile tea is a great option as it will actually help to relax you. If you want something a little more exciting, check out my Starbucks post that includes some great decaffeinated options for inspo.
2. Talk to a Pilot/Stewardess
This tip can be done on the flight, but is even better if you can do it in an off-the-plane environment. Pilots and stewardesses have not only had extensive training in how planes work, what’s normal, and what’s not, but they’ve had way more flight experiences than the average person and will likely have some input to share.
My mom is not a flyer, and on one of the only flights that she’s ever been on she kept feeling the turbulence, looking around at everyone sleeping unbothered, and asking the stewardess “Is this normal? Like, at what point do I need to be concerned”? Sometimes, it’s helpful to just levelset on what may seem scary but is totally normal (like the sound of your tires on the highway).
Othertimes, it’s good to hear personal stories or even just facts that the typical person may not know. For example, my friend’s pilot boyfriend told me about how pilots have sooo many plans for all of the things than can go wrong. Apparently, planes can take a lot more than we think and pilots have some control and know what to do if things aren’t going as planned.
3. Pray
If you’re not religious than this may sound wooo to you, but this is a ritual that I do before every flight or as we’re taking off and it really helps calm me. I pray, “God, please fly this plane” and then I just trust that God is the greatest pilot and He is going to get us to our destination safely.
4. Practice Deep Breaths
There are alll kinds of different methods for this and I highly recommend that you look them up if you do struggle with anxiety, but the key here is to get your breathing to be slow and controlled. If you don’t have a breathing sequence down pat, don’t fret. You don’t need a fancy method. Your body knows what to do, you just need patience while you wait for it to work.
You can also listen to a guided meditation or use the breathing feature on your smart watch (like I do) when I’m really worked up. On my Apple Watch, I’ll do the breathing sequence once, observe my elevated heart rate, then just try to be patient as I repeat it minute by minute and eventually see my heart rate return to a more normal state. When my anxiety was at its worst during the pandemic, I also bought this necklace that is designed as a little breathing tool to help calm you down and reduce anxiety. If you feel like you’ve tried everything, it could be worth a shot.
5. Try to Change Your Focus
I know, I know- easier said than done. This is reallyyy hard for me too sometimes, but if you can get your brain to focus on something that is not flight anxiety/turbulence you will be MUCH better off.
What works can vary person to person but, for me, it’s usually writing (in my notes app) or watching a movie. Movies are great because they really do transport your mind and I find that sometimes light turbulence even feels a little fun with the right action scene. Most airlines offer free entertainment (American Airlines has AAinflight that gives free access to movies, shows, and music), but if your airline doesn’t offer that (hello budget airlines), downloading movies from Netflix before your flight is a great alternative.
Educational podcasts can also be great because they give your brain something to think about. On probably my worst flight, I was really into a book and I focused on highlighting the parts that I found inspirational and wanted to remember. My highlights were all over the place, but in some contorted way, focusing on trying to make a straight line kept me centered. Whatever this thing is for you, do it- and the sooner the better.
If the sounds of a plane bother you, block them out. I don’t care if you put in ear plugs or listen to music, a movie, or a podcast, but do yourself a favor and don’t let yourself hear them. I personally like to hear when pilots make announcements so I usually only use one headphone, but if that’s not your fancy, do what you need to do.
6. Sleep
I’m typically not a great plane sleeper, but this is also a wonderful option if you can do it. This follows the same philosophy of telling a child that the sooner they fall asleep, the sooner tomorrow will come when they can see their friend, play with that new toy, or go to Disneyland. Some people can conk out and wake up at their destination and I admire these people.
7. Try a Calming Supplement
I’ve never done this, but if your flight anxiety is really bad you could try taking Ashwagandha. Obviously look into it first and check with your health care provider, but it’s a natural stress reliever and is in a lot of calming gummies/night time drinks. I would also recommend trying this first before being on a plane to make sure your body reacts appropriately, but if it does it’s an option. If you’re not comfortable with this, you can always stick with the chamomile.
8. Wear Things That Make You Feel Comfy and Secure
A necklace that someone you love gave you, a comfy hoodie (bonus points if it’s your SO’s), or a blanket can do wonders at making you feel at peace and not alone.
9. Know What Seat Makes You the Most Comfortable and Book It
Some people may like the window seat so they can see what’s going on or maybe a middle seat makes you feel more secure (although, if this is you, I’ve never met you so make sure you say hi). For me, personally, I feel most secure with an aisle seat and try to book one whenever possible.
10. Use Essential Oils
A little roller ball or essential oils bottle is the perfect addition to your personal item, whether you pick a mix specifically for anxiety or relaxation, make your own, or keep it simple, like lavender. Dab a little on your wrists and use the calming scent to help relax your nervous system.
If you struggle with flight anxiety, I see you and I’m sorry. Feel free to share your experiences in the comments below. Let me know if you learned anything new that you plan to implement on your next flight and, if you have any tips that I didn’t mention, I’d love if you shared so that I can try them out!
