How to Overcome the Fear of Flying

Fear is a problem, especially when it comes to flying. It’s estimated that approximately 50% of the population is afraid to get on an airplane.

Fear fuels all types of anxiety disorders, and is usually linked to an unpleasant experience, or the belief that an unpleasant experience will occur. This idea is based on the psychological school of thought called behaviorism, which suggests that behaviors are learned through interactions with the world around us and shape our behavior.

When we have negative life experiences, our behavior becomes conditioned to respond through avoidance or anxiety. Either you freak out when you have to fly, or you avoid flying altogether. The more flying is paired with anxiety, the more conditioned your response becomes. In time, simply going to the airport can trigger an anxiety attack.

Our beliefs also add to our anxiety. Take my friend Marybeth, as long as I’ve known her she’s flown without a problem. Being claustrophobic however, she always chose to sit in an isle seat. But recently, she had an experience where she wanted to get up and move around, and the stewardess told her she had to stay in her seat. Marybeth began to feel trapped on the plane. She did what all of us do; she began “what if” thinking. What if she needed to get up and she wasn’t allowed to? What if she panicked? What if she needed to use the rest room? What if she couldn’t get an isle seat?

Marybeth associated not being able to get out of her seat as the trigger to believing she was trapped. And if she were trapped she would panic. As you can imagine this created intense anxiety for her. She bit the bullet for a while, but finally decided she wouldn’t fly anymore.

The negative attributions we make about flying are rooted in our core beliefs. Here are a few related to flying:

• The plane will crash
• I will die
• I will panic
• I will be trapped
• I can’t do this

The good news is you can change or modify these beliefs by learning to refute them in light of the truth. Challenge yourself by asking the following questions:

• What evidence do I have to support my belief the plane will crash?
• What is the worse that could happen if I panic, and how does that compare to the worst thing I’ve ever experienced?
• o I want to upset myself?
• How likely is it that these bad consequences will occur?
• If the worst does happen, how can I handle it?

The other key piece is paying attention to what you’re telling yourself. Harness negative self- talk that perpetuates your fears by:

• Noticing how what you’re telling yourself impacts your mood
• Not talking about your anxiety to everyone. It perpetuates it
• Not listening to everyone’s horror stories about flying

Other tips for the fearful flier include:

• Chose an isle seat if you’re claustrophobic
• Learn relaxation and deep breathing exercises to calm yourself
• Distract yourself by reading, listening to music, or watching a movie

The more you learn to push through your fears the less power they will have over you. Just do it, then sit back and enjoy the ride!