How to overcome the fear of flying, in 5 easy steps

Many people experience fear of flying, a phenomenon that appears in situations where you have to get on a plane, even for a very short trip. Despite the fact that this means of transport is one of the safest, the irrational fear of this context makes them suffer for reasons that are difficult for them to explain in detail.

In this article we will focus on several tips on how to overcome the fear of flying, bearing in mind that this is a process that requires some time and effort, and that in some cases this fear will not completely disappear. But first, let's clarify some concepts.

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Is it always a type of airplane phobia?

It must be borne in mind that the fear of flying it is not exactly the same as the phobia of flying, or aerophobia. The first concept is broader, since phobias are mental disorders (specifically, disorders of anxiety) and there are several diagnostic criteria to determine if they are present in a person.

Specifically, the idea is important that for us to be able to talk about a phobia of flying, the fear must be so intense and disabling that it significantly impairs the person's locality of life; For example,

causing him to actively avoid taking planes even having the need to take one of these vehicles.

Although the available data is not very precise, it is estimated that around 13% of the population in societies Westerners have this condition, and about 5% suffer from a fear of flying so intense that it can be considered aerophobia.

Thus, the fear of flying is a phenomenon that can occur at different levels of severity, and aerophobia occupies its most intense extreme. However, this difference between a "mild" fear of flying and aerophobia, in which the person can completely lose control and start trying to get out of the plane urgently, can be understood as something qualitative, not just quantitative. Specifically, there are those who will not be able to overcome this fear of airplane flights unless you see a mental health professional like a psychologist or psychiatrist.

What we will see below is a series of tips that can help people whose fear of flying is not extreme and who will therefore be able to to get involved effectively in measures to overcome this fear on their own, although resorting to psychological help will always be helpful and will facilitate the process.

• Related article: "Aerophobia: when the fear of flying is pathological"

How to overcome the fear of flying

Follow these steps to maximize your chances of mitigating or eliminating your fear of flying.

1. Learn about the basics of what happens during the flight

Have basic knowledge of how an airplane works and how he does it to fly serves two fundamental purposes that help overcome the kind of fear we're talking about.

On the one hand, it makes the belief that the plane can fall at any moment, reinforced by an intuitive knowledge about how physics works (from our early childhood we learn that it is normal for objects that are not supported by something to fall to the ground) is compensated by somewhat more reasoned beliefs about the safety of these vehicles.

On the other hand, it helps to avoid surprises. Even if we think we know more or less how an airplane works, if we detect something that could mean an accident is about to happen, such as shaking produced by turbulence, we can rule out this belief in the safety of the vehicle by considering that we are in an exceptional case in which there is a very concrete. In this way, if we know that in a flight it is normal for quite strong jolts to occur, or that it is common to hear strange sounds produced by internal machinery of the plane, it is more difficult for this to happen to us.

However, this step is not enough by itself to eliminate the fear of flying, since as an emotional phenomenon that it is, Cognitive processes based on rational arguments have very limited power compared to the influence of the fear. Ultimately, this emotion makes sense because it has allowed us to increase our chances of survival. making us more likely to flee just in case than to stop to think if there really are reasons to be or not cautious. That's why, it is necessary to intervene on emotions.

2. Prepare self-instructions

Most likely, to overcome the fear of flying you will have to go through uncomfortable, even unpleasant moments. Ultimately, you must expose yourself to the source of that fear in order to lessen its influence over you. Therefore, it is important to prepare some self-instructions: a detailed description of how you should manage your care when you feel that fear lurks.

For example, when you feel turbulence you can mentally repeat "roller coaster" in series of three, to then do a few seconds of breathing techniques, and then go back to the repetition of the concept. In this way you will be fixing your attention on a series of simple steps that will help you not to become obsessed with fears.

• You may be interested in: "Self-Instruction Training and the Stress Inoculation Technique"

3. Take an object in which to release the tension

You are probably going to experience anxiety, so it is good to channel its physiological effects into a specific object, which will allow you to see that this facet of the symptoms is controlled And it won't make you lose control. For example, squeezing a rubber ball can work.

4. Use visualization methods in imagination

It is good that, before entering the plane, you close your eyes and imagine what will happen to fly inside. The objective is to expose yourself to a situation similar to that of the real flight (ruling out the possibility of catastrophes, adjusting to what happens by statistics: flights without incidents), have the opportunity to become familiar with these kinds of environments in a controlled environment.

5. If you can, enter the plane being in good condition

It is necessary to do everything possible to enter the plane in the best possible condition, which especially implies having slept well the night before, and having eaten well. If not, intrusive thoughts will be more likely to appear related to worries, since you will feel more vulnerable than usual.

Bibliographic references:

• Curtis, G.C., Magee, W.J., Eaton, W.W., Wittchen, H.U. & Kessler, R.C. (1998). Specific fears and phobias: Epidemiology and classification. British Journal of Psychiatry, 173, 212-217.