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.
