The fear of flying is as real as it gets. Lots of people have it and suffer from it with every travel. It is really hard to overcome this type of fear especially if you like traveling or if you have to do it for work. The panic attacks can get their hands on you and you can end up regretting your decision of flying and even canceling the flight.
But with the right weapons panic attacks can be fought and your fear of flying can slowly be diminished. Don’t expect to overcome it fast and simple. There is a long process behind accepting your fear and facing it. Therefore I think the following compilation of steps and tips will help you become more relaxed concerning this fear. Remember: you are not the only one!
Get Rid of Your Fear of Flying Once and For All
- Discover the cause – believe it or not, some people are not afraid of the flight itself but of the panic attacks they get while flying or the way in which they might react. In some cases the idea of being ‘trapped’ can also eat their brain and cause claustrophobic feelings. It’s important to establish what you fear in order to know what you are battling against.
- Learn how it works – the unknown makes us wonder. And this is how all the ‘what if’ questions appear. ‘What if the engine falls off? What if turbulences cause a crash?’ All these questions are normal and once you understand the logic behind your fears you will feel much better!
- Start small – when you are trying to overcome a fear you don’t start big with the thing that scares you most. This is prone to make you fail. Instead work your way from bottom to top. For instance, if you get the jitters from the moment you get on the airport, visit the airport even when you don’t need to fly. This will get you familiarized with it and will create a comforting sensation without stressing you.
- Check out statistics – statistics are always reassuring! But people tend to become more relaxed when they discover that certain scientists have spent a lot of time analyzing facts and sorting out results for you. Thus, according to statistics your chances of dying in a plane crash are 1 in 11 million. This means that a person could fly daily for 123,000 years and still be safe. I’ll be damned!
- Keep flying – theory without practice equals zero. The best way to maintain a certain progress against your fear of flying is by flying whenever you get the chance. If not, you will get rusty and your old fears will creep back leaving you right where you left off.
I think the key to having a peaceful flight is to have an optimistic attitude and to have faith that everything will be alright. Once you get over these fears and need of control you will manage to fly without problems. And you will love it!
Dana