Six ways to reduce the fear of flying

Is your phobia of flying keeping you from your next holiday? Here are tips to ease your anxiety.

Most of us can’t wait to go on our holidays -but for some travelers the very start of them can be a nightmare.

Research shows a quarter of us have some fear of flying, while one in 10 describe it as a phobia. But there are many ways to cope, from breathing techniques to teaching yourself about air travel. Here are a few that could help you take the next flight without aggravating your anxiety levels.

Breathe easy:
It’s vital to be relaxed -and breathing deeply will help you stay calm. When you feel anxious, hold your breath, then take a long deep breath in followed by a long one out. Try to combine this deep breathing with a muscle contraction.

Clenching your buttocks is most effective, as it overrides other nervous signals going up and down your spinal cord.Visualization techniques also help control anxiety. Imagine yourself stepping off the aircraft into the arms of a loved one, or into a lovely warm climate.

Understand your aircraft:
Everyone knows that it is the engine and not the wings of an aircraft that make it fly. But getting to learn other facts about the aircraft can help ease the nerves. For instance, aircraft engines, which are unlikely to fail, can still glide for 100 miles, if the engine of a commercial plane flying at 30,000 feet were to fail.

Take small steps:
For those scared for flying, the best plan should be to break their flying time into half-hour segments. Plan to do things to keep yourself occupied and stick to the plan. For example, watch a film, eat a meal or read a book. One could also use this time to do things, one normally doesn’t get around to doing, like writing a letter, which makes time pass quickly.

Trust the pilot:
Many people hate knowing that they need to relinquish control as soon as they get onto a flight, but remember pilots undergo a rigorous selection process and continue to have simulator tests every six months. One should remember that pilots are the most highly trained and tested professionals on earth.

Taking terror out of turbulence:
Without a doubt, the single-most shared common factor among fearful flyers is turbulence. Many different things may cause turbulence, but all of them are known and understood by pilots. Just like when driving to work, you’d expect the odd bump on the road. Remember turbulence is part of flying, and it is not to be feared. It’s uncomfortable but never dangerous.

Know your engine noises:
A sudden noise can cause alarm for many passengers, but once you know the cause of common sounds on board it will alleviate the fear that something has gone wrong. Not long after take-off it sometimes feels like we are suddenly dropping again, which can be unsettling.

This is known as the noise abatement procedure, the point at which the pilot tries to reduce from the take-off power setting to a lesser climb setting. Our ears detect this as a deceleration and coupled with the reduction in engine noise it’s understandable that people think they are descending.