We get it, flying isn’t always the most pleasant experience. Turbulence and fear of crashing can sometimes skyrocket our anxiety and make us less willing to get on a plane. Fear not, we’re here to calm your nerves! According to many experienced pilots and flight attendants, here are five things you can do to help calm your anxiety and make sure you have a pleasant, relaxing flight.
Talk to flight attendants
Its part of the flight attendants job to make sure their passengers are comfortable. Flight attendants have spent many hours on planes and have experienced all types of turbulence and much more. Simply strike up a chat with them to express that you’re a nervous flyer, and they will be more than happy to chat with you about your flight. You are not the first nervous flier they will experience, and you surely will not be their last. During the flight, if you feel anxious simply look at the flight attendants. Are they panicking too? Their calm demeanor can help put you at ease.
Understanding Statistics
We’re sure you’ve heard it already: flying is statistically safe. Well, it’s true. The most dangerous part of flying is driving to the airport. The odds your plane will crash is one in 1.2 million, and the odds of dying in a crash are one in 11 million. This comes out to a 0.000009% chance. The airline industry is so heavily regulated that even if there is some sort of catastrophic failure on the flight, there are multitudes of safety mechanisms to ensure passenger safety and make the plane land safely.
Distract Yourself
Don’t always count on the airline entertainment systems to be working. Even if they are, are you sure you want to watch an entire season of Below Deck? Just kidding, we wouldn’t judge if you wanted to. The point is, bring backup options yourself. Download music or movies on your phone. Bring a book. Do work on your laptop. Anything to help keep your mind focused on something else so you’re simply not just staring out the window or the back of the seat in front of you with nothing to do, except you and your anxious mind.
Arrive Early
Airports can often have unexpected delays at both check-in and security, not to mention traffic on the way to the airport. The last thing you want to do if you’re a nervous flyer is to increase your anxiety by rushing to the airport. If you arrive extra early, this will give you more time to relax and calm yourself. Perhaps get a glass of wine in the airport bar and watch the other planes and passengers disembark. This will put you in a more comfortable mindset before your own flight.
Turbulence
Turbulence sucks and can sometimes even be scary. Fear not, it is practically impossible for a flight to crash due to turbulence. Over the decades, airplanes have been meticulously crafted by engineers to ensure safety and are designed to be roughed around. They even put airplanes through completely unrealistic and rigorous tests such as seeing how far the wings can bend before snapping — and they never do. These machines are the definition of durable. Yes, a sudden drop can make one’s heart go into your throat. Pilots will avoid turbulence at any cost (because who wants to get slapped in the face with their food during dinner service?) and either fly above, below, or around the pocket of turbulence. So, if you hear the seatbelt sign turn on and feel the plane briefly ascend or descend, just know that they are simply avoiding the turbulent areas.
