How to cope with the fear of flying

Are you scared to death every time you step on a plane? There are things you can do to reduce your anxiety that doesn’t involve Valium or a pitcher of Margaritas. Here we learn How to cope with the fear of flying.

A big thanks to Howcast for the great video and tips!

Step 1: Familiarise yourself with aeroplane safety measures. Commercial airliners have more than one backup system for every piece of equipment that could fail, and they receive 12 hours of maintenance on the ground for every hour spent in the air.

Step 2: Sit over the wing Request a seat over the wing. The ride is the smoothest and most quiet there.

Step 3: Bring aboard as many diversions as you can think of—an engaging book, puzzles, good music, a stack of magazines, a variety of snacks, and a DVD player. You want your mind so occupied that you won’t notice every in-flight hiccup. Tip if you run out of things to do, talk to the person next to you.

Step 4: Alert the flight attendant tell the flight attendant that you’re a nervous flyer as soon as you board. He or she will take the time to reassure you about any odd sounds or sensations. Tip Fight the urge to use sedatives on a flight. They double your risk of developing deep vein thrombosis, a potentially fatal blood clot, and the threat lasts for four weeks.

Step 5: Dismiss turbulence Stop panicking that the plane is going down every time you hit a little bump. Airliners are designed to withstand more turbulence than Mother Nature is capable of creating. In fact, turbulence has never taken down a commercial airliner.

Step 6: Meditate, take some deep breaths whenever your morbid imagination begins to trump your common sense: Inhale slowly through your nose as your stomach expands, then exhale gently. Tip For an instant tension releaser, do the Ten-Second Grip—squeeze your armrests as hard as you can while tensing your stomach and leg muscles. Hold for ten seconds and release. Repeat until you’re calm.

Step 7: Reassure yourself that the pilots are well equipped to deal with any situation—their training is comparable in time and intensity to that of a medical doctor. Air traffic controllers undergo rigorous instruction, too.

Step 8: If all else fails, repeat this mantra: ‘My chance of being in a plane crash this year is about 11 million to one. It’s far, far safer than driving!

Did You Know? Passengers sitting at the back of a plane are 40% more likely to survive a crash than those sitting in the front. Take that, First Class.

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