Fear of flying or aerophobia is the extreme nervousness or anxiety felt when someone is about to fly. This fear can originate from various factors – the fear of heights, fear of small spaces, fear of flying which may be exhibited by parents and kids would have picked up the same fear, exposure to news items that talk about crashes or incidents of accidents of the past.

The current pandemic situation has added some amount of nervousness even to those who did not really have an issue before. Some amount of nervousness is common, but if your fear of flying is intensive, it can have serious effects on your quality of life.

Physical symptoms experienced could include chills, stomach upsets, nausea, shaking and trembling, shortness of breath, sweating, etc. In some cases, it can be a full-blown panic attack.

Following can help you cope with the fear of flying.

Carry Dr Bach’s Rescue Combination

Dr Bach’s Rescue Combination is a blend of 5 individual Bach flowers which is one of the most popular combination of the Bach system of 38 flowers. It is the only combination mix that has been created by Dr. Bach to deal with emergencies and crises- the moments when there is no time to make a proper individual selection of remedies. This combination can help calm and ease the anxieties and make one feel instantly relaxed.

But if one wishes to work on longer term solution to underlying issues creating anxiety one will have to create a personal blend of remedies. (Note: One can seek the help BFRP (Bach Foundation Registered Practitioner) to make a personal blend.  

Carrying a Rescue combination with you on next trip can be useful and prove handy way to keep anxieties at bay for the immediate moments.

Distract yourself with Music

Distraction works well. Most airlines provide with little comforts like televisions, music channels, and magazines. Use them to distract yourself during the flight journey. One of the best ways to distract yourself during a flight is to listen to music. Music can help in diverting your mind in a pleasant way and the uneasiness can be minimized. So, check if your airline will provide you with music channel access, else plan to carry your own music and your earphones along.

Wear comfortable clothes

Wear comfortable clothes on your flight. Tight clothing can make you feel more anxious. One more reason to avoid tight clothing will be provide comfort and ease to our body which can naturally swell when we are flying. Swelling usually happens because of long hours spent sitting in the cabin chair which causes blood to pool around feet and ankles. Swelling can also happen when we are in an upright position for a long time and not moving. The lower air pressure and humidity inflight also promotes dehydration, which causes our body to retain water and swell.

Tight clothes coupled with added mandatory accessory called a face mask to our regular dress code can make us feel very restricted. A thorough thought on one’s flight clothing is essential, specifically during the current times for those who have anxiety before fear flying.

Pick a seat of your choice.

If you are uncomfortable in the air, then one of the things that could easy the discomfort is seating in a seat of your choice. If you’re afraid of heights, stay away from the windows. Aisle seats can be helpful for those who feel claustrophobic or restless and need to move around. If you have a fear of being stuck on the plane, choose a seat towards the front so that you can disembark quickly. People sitting near emergency exit are given additional safety information and are expected to understand and behave in required manner in case of emergency. Hearing to this additional information may not always be comfortable, if you are the them who finds this information overwhelming, then totally avoid the emergency exit seat.

One of the best things you can do for yourself is to prepare ahead of time! As a good rule of thumb while travelling, avoid packing luggage at last moment and carry the right luggage bags, it can be a game changer when it comes to being comfortable on your flight.