A trip away is the perfect opportunity to relax, refresh, and take a break from the stresses you face in everyday life. Many people love to travel and see new places, but there’s one part of the experience that isn’t very fun: flying. For some people, air travel is a lot of hassle, mostly thanks to lost luggage, high fares, long airport delays, and many more inconveniences. However, for others, just the thought of flying is terrifying. After all, if humans were meant to be airborne, we’d be born with wings. Rather than let this ruin your fun, here are seven tips for tackling your flier fear.
1. Learn What To Expect
The unknown can be a big source of stress. This is why those with a fear of flying might benefit from learning a little bit more about how planes work. If you read about how aircrafts can continue to fly, even after an engine fails, for example, it could alleviate some of your worry regarding malfunctions. It can also help to familiarize yourself with the layout of your plane’s cabin. One thing that won’t help, however, is reading about plane crashes and accidents.
2. Choose A Quiet Flight
Large crowds of people can make an already overwhelming situation that much more scary. Although airports are usually jam-packed with people, there are certain times of the day and year that are less busy than others. Traveling during these periods means that there will be fewer people around, resulting in less noise, shorter queues, and quicker boarding times. If you think that the crowds might bother you, then book your flight when the airport is likely to be quieter.
3. Book An Aisle Seat
Sometimes ignorance really is bliss. If you know that looking outside when on the plane is going to bother you, then choose an aisle seat, rather than a window one so that you can’t do so. Most airlines will allow you to request this seat assignment when booking the flight. An aisle seat also allows you to get up and move around much easier. This means that, if you’re feeling particularly anxious, you can go and speak to a flight attendant, rather than waiting for one to come to you.
4. Pack With A List
Forgetting to pack your phone charger or hairbrush isn’t the biggest catastrophe known to man. However, when you’re already feeling stressed, it will feel like it is. For this reason, you should pack with a list so that you don’t forget anything. You might also benefit from only packing carry-on luggage. This means that all of your belonging will be with you at all times, which eliminates the risk of the airline losing your luggage before, during, or after the flight.
5. Arrive Earlier Than Necessary
Racing to the gate in a bid not to miss your flight will leave even those that enjoy flying incredibly stressed. When the experience already makes you anxious, therefore, it can send you into meltdown mode. Because of this, you should leave for the airport much earlier than you necessarily need to. By doing this, it won’t matter if you get stuck in traffic or your car breaks down, as there will still be plenty of time before you need to check-in.
6. Bring Yourself A Distraction
Focusing on the fact that you’re on a plane is, of course, going to make you incredibly anxious when you’re scared of them. With that in mind, you should bring something to distract you during your flight. If you’re a keen reader, Gemsman has a list of ten essential books every man needs to read to keep you busy. In fact, if you have wifi on the plane, you could just read a few of their articles instead. Some people also like to pack video games, music, films, TV shows, and more.
7. Attend A Fear Class
Flying is an incredibly common fear across every gender and age. Because of this, there are many classes available for those that are afraid to fly. For some of those, the final challenge and test is actually taking a flight. These classes use a combination of techniques to show anxious fliers that there is nothing to fear, helping them to conquer their worries. If nothing else has helped you to beat your flight fears, then consider taking one of these courses.
Vacations are supposed to be fun, but, when you need to take a flight from A to B, it can turn out to be the exact opposite. Rather than let your fears hold you back, you should fight them with the advice above.