Tips for anxious flyers

Well hello to you my reader chums! Travel is one of my favourite hobbies, however a couple of years ago the thought of getting on a plane, absolutely terrified me. Over the past few years, I've battled my anxiety in many different forms including tackling my plane fears.

Whether you're new to flying or an anxious flyer in general, here are my best tips on how I overcame this anxiety and general advice on what to do on a flight to keep the anxiety at bay.

Bring things to do on the flight

Whether a short or long flight, keeping your mind occupied is always a good idea if you're an anxious flyer. This could be anything from delving into a new book, writing a journal, colouring-in, playing a card game or putting on your makeup whilst you fly, ready for arrival. There are plenty of activities to get stuck into on board and ultimately distract the mind.

Also, if you are flying long haul, there are always films or TV episodes to watch on the plane and even certain short flight airlines offer this feature. If travelling with someone else, you can play a question game to get you thinking, pamper yourself with a sheet face mask or even make a plan of what to do on arrival. Doing things will keep your mind off the flying fear.

Listen to your favourite soundtrack on top volume

I often find music is something that can drown out my anxious thoughts over a period of time - and what helps is playing the volume quite loud. Obviously, be wary of those around you and don't disturb fellow flyers. However, nothing can really be better than flicking on your favourite album and getting in the music zone. Purchasing a pair of noise-cancelling headphones can also help with drowning out the noise and help you focus only on the music, rather than the sounds around you.

Listen to podcasts

Podcasts have become a recent favourite of mine and I wish I knew more about them a few years back. Personally, when I'm anxious, I need something to focus on so something like a podcast, would be very beneficial. Whichever topic you're interested in, there are hundreds of different podcasts available on the Apple podcast app. I'd recommend downloading a couple for your trip to last you the course of the flight and give you a choice to listen to.

Download calming apps

Keeping calm is key if you're anxious about a flight, otherwise, you'll panic more thinking about it. Calming apps are my favourite things to listen to for breathing exercises and unwinding. The few I'd recommend are Calm.com (my absolute favourite) and Headspace. They're all fab for different things and I'd advise downloading a couple of apps to see which works best for you.

Keep hydrated

When you're feeling anxious, you often forget to look after yourself as panic takes over. Buy a bottle of water after you head through security at the airport and pick up some snacks to keep you both hydrated and nourished throughout the flight.

Fly more

There is always that phrase along the lines of 'if you don't try you'll never know', and with anxiety the thought of giving new things a go is terrifying, especially travelling if you're an anxious flyer. However, booking more flights, practising calming techniques and eventually getting used to the whole flow of the travelling process, will put your mind at ease when you book the next flight.

As I've been flying more over time, I know what to expect that I no longer find a flight the scariest thing ever and genuinely enjoy flying to a new destination. The more you do something, the more you can familiarise yourself with a situation and get used to it - which with anxiety, helps you take some form of control.

I hope you enjoyed this post and it has given you a couple of flying tips. What is your best advice for anxious flyers?

Thank you for reading <3