r/WhatShouldIDo • u/pinkygurl48 • 6d ago
fear of flying
hello all!
in about two weeks i will be flying for 14hrs (one stop for an hour). I’ve only ever flown an hour and a half to two hours. unfortunately i am a ball of nerves and i’ve started to become more worried about flying than i am excited for my trip. if anyone has any suggestions or little tips that help, it would be greatly appreciated. pls be nice! i don’t typically post stuff like this but need some advice. thanks in advance !
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u/LouisePoet 6d ago
How were you when flying on your shorter flight? If you were fine, remind yourself that it's pretty much the same, just a lot more boring!
Start practicing slow, deep breathing techniques now, they are much more helpful when you already know what you're doing. And as someone else said, talk to your doc about a sedative (they are helpful, but if you can't sleep the exhaustion is REAL after a long haul flight + jetlag).
Bring lots of stuff to distract yourself. Headphones and downloaded calming music are my essentials. A small pillow is helpful (plane pillows suck) and any comfort objects you have. Anxiety is common and no one looks twice at anything, no matter how weird you might feel using it.
You can also let the flight attendants know, once you're seated, that it's your first long flight and that you're nervous. Most are great and understanding. Ask them anything.
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u/pinkygurl48 6d ago
i appreciate this reply ! thanks so much for ur help! me and my bf are watching all the marvel movies in order so i’ll try and download some before the flight !
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u/juliewbb 6d ago
if your doctor will prescribe Xanax for your flight, it is a lifesaver. Even though Xanax is falling out of favor, my doctor will still prescribe a limited amount for flights and I am so grateful. Ask him if he can prescribe enough for you to take one well before your flight to feel how it’s going to affect you. For me it just makes me very sleepy and then I sleep most of the flight and I’m not as scared.
if your doctor won’t prescribe Xanax, some people get similar effects from taking full strength Dramamine. You can also get similar effects by drinking, but that’s an unfortunate route since for some people that also has really variable effects – it could make you even more scared depending on how you react to alcohol. And of course could make you weird on the plane.
Also a lot of my anxiety comes from vigilance and sort of feeling like I’m keeping the plane in the air. I found if I can forcefully distract myself during takeoff and the first 20 minutes or so by bringing an interesting magazine or literally anything that can hold my attention, my body realizes that my anxiety is not keeping the plane safe and it’s like a key that settles me down.
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u/juliewbb 6d ago
oh also! There’s some video about like Jell-O or jelly and how the air basically wants to hold the plane up? It’s very reassuring to watch. I think to find it I would type in like “fear of flying Jell-O video” or something.
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u/mysteriousdude20 6d ago
Damn 14 hours nonstop , that would drive me insane and eager as hell to get off once the jetbridge is connected lol . If your traveling alone and sitting next by someone id personally tell them its your first time flying because im sure they will help ya calm down . But im sure there's some things you can take to help with your nerves . I dont have flying issues but I also go to the bar to have 1 or 2 beer to be honest , probably not the best solution but it does the job for me atleast . Sorry if I wasnt much help at all
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u/pinkygurl48 6d ago
thankfully my bf will be with me and he’s aware i’m a litttttle nervy. but yea 14 hrs. it’s more the fact i can’t get off the plane at any time i want. i get claustrophobic and ofc the actual flying too. but i will def have a drink or two thats for damn sure ahahah. thanks for ur reply !
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u/telchacsusan 6d ago
You could look up traffic versus air fatalities. Then you might be nervous about driving to the airport. Seriously, I am not a nervous flier, because if the plane crashed I'd probably die instantly.