Many people have a genuine fear of flying. Aerophobia can cause very real anxiety before and during a flight as the amygdala, the brain’s emotional centre, goes into overdrive over perceived dangers. Yet flying is one of the safest forms of transportation.
A study published in August in the Journal of Air Transport Management showed that travellers worldwide have a 1-in-13.7 million chance of being killed in an air crash. Fear of flying commonly causes people to experience a range of symptoms, from jitters to total panic.
If you’re among the travellers with this common condition, here are some tips that could help you fly more comfortably: First, recognize what makes you feel scared. For example, images of plane crashes in movies or news about accidents can set off anxiety or even hyperventilation. If this happens, try breathing exercises to bring yourself back to a relaxed state.
In one method, called “box breathing,” you inhale deeply for four seconds, hold for four seconds, exhale for four seconds and hold again for four seconds. Repeat this cycle three to four times, until you feel calmer. Loss of control is at the centre of many flying fears.
As Tom Bunn, a therapist and retired airline captain, explained, “The problem is this: Flying is a no-control, no-escape situation. If we are going to give up escape, we need to know we don’t need to escape, because if anything goes wrong, there is a backup system that can be turned to.” To help with this, it can be us.
