How do I stop overthinking about flying?

Or, at least, help you get ready for your next flight.
  1. Get scientific about flying. ...
  2. Try not to overthink every noise. ...
  3. Understand what turbulence is. ...
  4. Chat with the cabin crew. ...
  5. Find a way to distract yourself. ...
  6. Breathe in and ommmm. ...
  7. Try a little exposure therapy. ...
  8. Pop in to see a therapist.




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Distract yourself
Reading a book or listening to a good podcast can refocus your mind and attention. Distracting yourself from the fact that you are flying can be a great way to keep calm if you're a nervous flyer.. Time tends to pass much more quickly when adequately distracted.

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People with aerophobia might feel intense anxiety before or during a flight. This condition can interfere with your ability to travel for work or pleasure. If aerophobia is affecting your quality of life, talk to your healthcare provider. With psychotherapy, most people can conquer their fear of flying.

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Flight anxiety medication
  • fluvoxamine (Faverin)
  • citalopram (Celexa)
  • escitalopram (Lexapro)
  • paroxetine (Paxil)


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So many travelers struggle with this fear, so the best way to cope is to find a seat with plenty of space. The least crowded section of the plane is first or business class. But if upgraded flying isn't in your budget there are still options. Try sitting in an aisle seat in an exit row towards the front of the plane.

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Many nervous flyers feel irrational anxiety that their plane will malfunction and crash, no matter how many times they hear the statistics about how safe flying is compared to driving. Other travelers worry about terrorist hijackings or panic at the idea that they're not in control of the aircraft that's carrying them.

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Fear of flying afflicts as much as 40 percent of the U.S. population. The nation's armrest-grippers may be heartened to know that “aviophobia” is perfectly normal, and easily treated. Only about 5 percent of Americans have aviophobia so severe that they cannot fly.

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Take a melatonin pill. That's the hormone that our bodies use to put us to sleep naturally. Pop the pill a few hours before the flight.

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While Xanax may be useful for flying on an airplane, it will not help you with your anxiety. It may help in the moment but you will not tackle your fear of flying if you are asleep the whole flight. If you ran out of your medication or left it at home, the anxiety will still exist if you go on an airplane again.

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She told the group what worried her. “I am afraid of dying.” Fear of flying, or aviophobia, is an anxiety disorder.

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Xanax, a member of the same pharmaceutical family (benzodiazepines) as diazepam, is a strong one. Take it about two to three hours before you fly, and do not mix it with alcohol. There is a risk of dependency, though, with these benzodiazepines, but only if you are taking them more than once a week.

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If you're taking antihistamines, decongestants, or over-the-counter pain medicine like ibuprofen or acetaminophen, it's important to take your medication at least an hour before your flight so it has time to work before your plane takes off.

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Doctors rarely recommend sleeping tablets for flying for several reasons. Some tablets render you immobile, which would be problematic during an in-flight emergency. Even if you're OK with that small risk, avoid sitting near an emergency exit where you could be responsible for many lives in an emergency.

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While air travelers aren't quite as peeved by these behaviors, other annoying habits include removing your shoes (23.59 percent), flirting (21.89 percent), getting out of your seat too often (19.95 percent), utilizing overhead bin space too far from your seat (18.12 percent), being overly affectionate with your partner ...

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Take melatonin 20 to 30 minutes before sleep (for eastward travel, melatonin can also be taken en route, 30 minutes prior to the target bedtime at your destination. It doesn't need to be taken en route for westward travel).

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If you react well to taking naps, then you should sleep for a few hours. Or if you find it easy to wake up in the middle of the night and function well, then you might want to sleep for a few hours. But if you find it easy to sleep on a plane, then you might want to stay up and sleep once you are in the air.

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These drugs are usually taken shortly before a flight. They include: Anti-anxiety medication, such as diazepam (Valium) or alprazolam (Xanax). Motion sickness medication, such as dimenhydrinate (Dramamine).

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Arrive well-rested and don't try to force it Espie also adds that you'll recover from sleep loss more quickly if you're well-rested before you fly. “If you start with a sleep debt, it could make you more prone to jet lag,” Espie says.

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Multiple pilots stepped up to answer the question, but the response was unanimous, while you may have the best of intentions - don't do it. Scott Kinder, a 737 Captain at a Major U.S. Airline for over 10 years said, Don't even think about it.

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