by Tiffany Belle

Created on: June 06, 2008   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

Aviophobia, the fear of flying is a very common phobia. I am definitely afraid of flying but somehow flew from the Chicago airport to Hawaii, which was a 9 hour flight. Here are some of the things that I did to calm my fear of flying and to relax a little bit more on the airplane.

Pray. Knowing that you can't control anything and it is in God's hands helps ease your mind. I believe that whatever will happen, will happen as God's will. Now, needless to say I am still scared that God's will is for the plane to crash, but it will make you feel better a little bit. Who better to put your life into, than God's hands? Sit back and pray and try to relax as God will handle it.

Pick the right seat. Many people that are afraid of flying, also get claustrophobic on an airplane. Breathing deeply will help this, but choosing the right seat helps even more. Choose an aisle seat on a wide body plane so that you can move around freely. Being stuffed into a seat with people all around you definitely will not ease your fears. You need to be able to get up and walk around if you start to have an anxiety attack.

Make sure that you get to the airport early. Rushing only causes more anxiety for you. Arriving early definitely helps you relax a little bit more. You know that you aren't rushed at the last minute to catch the plane. You should arrive at least 1-2 hours early at the airport to plan for security and your walk to the gate. This way you can know that you will have time to relax before boarding the plane.

Do not drink caffeine the day of your flight, especially if it just makes you more jittery. Also, make sure that you are eating every 3 hours or so that you are not running on an empty stomach and end up getting sick also.

Try to relax. Try to control your fear and anxiety with deep-breathing exercises. Listen to relaxing music as many airline's have audio stations with soothing music on them. Pick a scene, maybe from your destination (you laying on the beach) and focus solely on that scene. On my way to Hawaii, all I kept thinking about was my vacation and what we would do in Hawaii. Do not over-analyze the flight. Not every flight is going to be smooth. My biggest fear is that nothing is holding up the airplane. If you think like that, do the best that you can to take your mind off those thoughts. Read an interesting book or magazine or try to take a little nap, knwoing that you will wake up at your destination.

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