OVERCOMING AEROPHOBIA :FEAR OF FLYING IN AN AIRPLANE

Have you ever travelled by plane? Do you have a phobia about flying or scared to fly? Do you have this unnecessary strong fear about you being in a plane that is flying high in the sky? If yes, then you are aero phobic. People have phobia for aircraft either because they are afraid of height or because they have never entered a plane before, or because of loss of relatives in a plane crash. However, here are some tips you need to practice before entering the plane.

Pinpoint the source: Understanding exactly what it is about flying that causes your anxiety will help you to find strategies to cope better and diminish the fear. There ae some typical things that worry people, such as sitting in a confined space without being able to leave at will, fear of an accident on take-off or landing, fear of an accident when in the air, anxiety about heights in general, close proximity to germs being recirculated through the airplane, lack of control over handling the airplane etc. By deciding what combination of these sorts’ factors bothers you, you can start to deconstruct the fear with solid facts and answers.

Mentally practice: In a safe, comfortable spot, close your eyes and visualize the process of taking the flight. Imagine the whole process going smoothly, from the security checkpoints to baggage claim at your destination.

Educate yourself: Find facts to soothe your fears. If you know how rare airplane crashes are, for example, you can soothe yourself by repeating in your heads how high your odds are of arriving safely. If you have unanswered questions, simply talk to the airline staff. They will understand if you are nervous, so don’t try to cover it up by being cheeky or rude, as safety is taken very seriously on-board.

Distract yourself: bring along a good book, favourite music, or an activity. Concentrate on your activity instead of the fact you are on the plane.

Learn safety tips: Knowing you are prepared for a disaster, no matter how improbable, is comforting. This means reading the supplied safety information and watching the inflight demonstration. Recollecting it in an emergency could save your life. Moreover, aircrafts are modified and get changed over the years, so safety measures may have changed since you last flew and you need to be up to date about what safety measures exist now. So listen carefully!  

Travel with someone if possible and stop watching catastrophe documentaries: If you travel with somebody, you will have someone to chat away with instead of focusing on the plane all the time. You need to stop watching those air catastrophe documentaries on television. The same goes for movies that show crashing aircraft as you guessed it. Whether or not they are linked to flying as these could make negative vibes that only compound your fears, you also have to keep away from negative thoughts. Try watching TV shows or read stories about people who actually have conquer their aerophobia and don’t take their tips for granted.

Trust: Another thing you need to develop when trying to overcome fear of flying is trust- not necessarily in the crew or anyone directly connected to the flight, but trust in life in general and the beautiful things that can happen. The only thing you need to realise when dealing with aerophobia is that most of the time, this fear is more about the fear of losing someone or something than it is of flying. Try to explore your emotions and find that fear within you in your most solitary moments. Once you get hold of what you are looking for, you will have a greater chance at training yourself to be more rational in flight. Above all, accept whatever you don’t have control over, and always have positive thinking. You can even write down your fear and find solutions to it before boarding.

Get the fear out. Safe flight on your next trip!