I have had some more unfortunate circumstances since that incident, which has turned my initial fears into full-blown anxiety. The minute I book a trip, I start worrying about the plane ride. There have been times where I have sat in the airport, not sure if I would be able to force myself to get on the plane. While I’m not sure I will ever completely get over my fear, I wanted to share the five ways I try to manage my anxiety.
Get a good night’s sleep.
This doesn’t always happen since I often stay awake worrying about the flight, but the more sleep I get, the calmer I am the morning of the flight. We usually book our flights at the crack of dawn, so getting a good night’s sleep is really important to me.
Avoid caffeine.
I love coffee, but when I am anxious, caffeine makes me feel so much worse. I have forced myself to avoid it before getting on a plane.
Do research.
Even though I know many of the stats by heart, it still helps me to look up information about planes and flying before I leave for a trip. It’s a great way to remind myself that flying is safe.
Start reading a good book before boarding.
I fly better when I am distracted, so it is best for me to have a book I am already into before I board. That way I am so eager to keep reading and focus less on my fear.
Watch the flight tracker.
I love watching the flight tracker to see where we are and how much longer we have until we land. It doesn’t work well for me if we are over water, but otherwise it can keep me distracted for hours.
Oh my goodness- that is really scary! I've never heard anything like that...
ReplyDeleteI mean that would give me anxiety too! I usually only get anxiety when they are really long flights...and over an ocean!! xo, Biana - BlovedBoston
ReplyDeleteOh wow... your experience on your way to Alaska would have traumatized me! Great tips girl, however I may not be able to abide by the no caffeine ;-)
ReplyDeleteGreen Fashionista
um, that sounds terrifying. haha. i get anxiety but i've (knock on wood) never had anything bad happen. now i'm even more scared hahahaha
ReplyDeleteSo I definitely overcame flight anxiety. I had it BAD. This guide changed my life: http://www.fearofflyinghelp.com/
ReplyDeleteI read through the entire course (being completely skeptical) and it actually worked for me after practicing techniques on a few flights.
<3 Have Ashley
I have read fear of flying before, but I didn't do the entire course! You have convinced me to try it. :)
DeleteIve never thought about it, but starting a good book before a flight is a great way to stay distracted on a flight. There's nothing better than getting started on a book and not wanting to land because you couldn't put your book down!
ReplyDeleteAll great tips girl! I usually don't get anxiety flying unless it's a long distance. When we went to Hawaii I learned the hard way that a non-stop flight from Atlanta was not a smart idea! The book idea is an excellent suggestion!
ReplyDeleteOh gosh I would have been scarred for life too! How scary! I'm sorry you have so many fears resulting from that experience. I'm glad it hasn't totally prohibited you from flying, though!
ReplyDeleteThat would change my outlook on flying too! Really love this post. Very informative and great tips! Thanks for linking up today!
ReplyDelete~Ashley @ A Cute Angle
acutelifestyle.blogspot.com
Nice tips! Hope you have a great week♥♥
ReplyDeletesummerdaisy.net
Thank you so much, Summer! Hope your week is great too. :)
DeleteLike you who travels a lot, I get some major anxiety when flying. Great tips to avoid high anxiety especially avoiding coffee specifically for me. I usually find taking off to cause the most anxiety and then any turbulence but once everything is smooth Im fine the rest of the flight and landing.
ReplyDeleteThis is so helpful!! I'm not afraid of flying but every now and then I get very anxious about it. Thanks for the tips.
ReplyDeleteFlying, has become one of those things that also gives me full blown anxiety. After years of flying, each flight brought on more paranoia and anxiety. For me, it's not that I went through a traumatic experience, but just the fear of my plane being one of many that's gone down this year. My boyfriend just took a flight out this morning and I've been so anxious for his safety and well being since he took off. We use "Flight View" to track each other when we fly. It's an awesome app. Good news, he landed safely! Lol
ReplyDeleteKaitlyn @ http://kaitlyn-danielle.blogspot.com
So sorry to hear you also deal with flying anxiety, Kaitlyn! It's so hard but so worth it to see the world! I love the Flight View app. :)
DeleteGirl, you are speaking my language! Traveling has always been a positive thing for me, and then when anxiety struck me a little over a year ago, everything went down hill, most recently flying. With in-laws an entire time zone away, I won't be able to avoid flying forever and I'm getting more and more anxious about the whole idea these days. I swore off caffeine months ago, and that's a big help but still...teach us your ways!
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear you deal with flying anxiety! Flying is so stressful and I know so many people have a hard time with it. When I am anxious about a flight I try to think about never getting to visit such amazing places around the world. Have you looked into essential oils at all to help? I use them and love them for so many different reasons. Maybe they could help too? :)
ReplyDeleteoh gosh, good tips and you are speaking to me here. Flying is scary and I really struggle if there's any bumps. Ugh. So true about the caffeine!! It's always so annoying too bc when you're up that early it feels like you should be rewarded with coffee.
ReplyDelete