Fighting and Overcoming the Fear of Flying

Many people have a fear of flying and many people just choose to drive to where they are going instead of working to overcome their flying fear.  If you cannot fly, it’s unlikely that you will ever be able to take that great trip overseas. It’s unlikely that you will ever be able to take a spontaneous romantic weekend trip to the place where the two of you fell in love and it’s very unlikely that your boss will ever offer you the opportunity to land that big account across the country.

You need to learn about fighting your flying fear and do it quickly so that you don’t lose out on all of the really great parts of life that we all get to experience. But, how does one work on fighting their fears? How does one become “un-afraid” of something? When you were a child, you didn’t just become able to look under your bed to fight the boogey man, did you? It took time and steps and you had to build up your courage and you should know that you are going to have to do this again.

It Takes Guts

There is no denying that it takes a whole lot of courage to look your fears in the eye and tell them that you are not afraid of them. It takes a whole lot of guts to be able to walk onto a plane when you have a fear of flying, but you should know that in this case, just like when you had to look under your bed as a child, the fear is better being faced.

When you can look your fear of flying in the eye, you might find that there really isn’t that much to be afraid of after all. By taking a look at what really scares you, you will be able to have a better understanding of what it will take to fight your fears. This is true of fighting your fear of flying, just as it is of anything else. In fact, it is said that the more you face your fears, the less frightened of them you are, so this is your first step.

Go Slowly

There is no designated time frame when fighting your fears, so you need to make sure to take your time when fighting the fear of flying. Take the time to get to know your fear and your physical reactions to that fear. Take notice of how your feel each time you think of flying and write it all down. Then work to calm yourself both physically and mentally. Write down what works and what doesn’t.

Make sure that you know what aspects of flying you are afraid of, too. If you know what parts of flying scare you, then you can focus on healing yourself from those things and keep an eye on all the good things about flying. This will help you to keep a balanced perspective on your fears and overcome them more easily.

Most of all, though, you need to be patient when you’re battling your fear of flying. In many cases, you may never completely overcome your fear and anxiety and might just find that you do well to learn to manage your fears. In other cases, it can take months and months to truly gain control of your fears, so patience and diligence is key here.

When you’re working to fight your fear of flying, you should always remember that each time you make it a huge fear, it will become a huge fear, but by working to minimize the threat of your fears and through slow treatment and exposure, you can overcome your fear of flying for good.

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Steps In Overcoming Fear Of Flying

There are many people who are having a hard time in overcoming fear of flying. This fear may stem from a personal experience or from watching something on the news. Studies show that many that have developed a fear of flight are the ones who are used to travel via plane before. These bad experiences may include prolonged or heavy turbulence that is caused by natural phenomenon such as bad weather or an aborted flight wherein the airplane needs to take an emergency landing that is usually caused by mechanical failures.

Another reason for this flying fear is the person is exposed too much on media coverage on various tragic accidents in the air which instill a fear for his or her life. Studies show that people who have witnessed an extensive coverage of an aerial accident are prone to having aviophobia sooner or later.

Here a few steps to follow, to begin to eliminate your fear of flying:

#1 Conduct a thorough research.

Indeed, knowledge is power. If you are aware about the basics of flight and air travel, your mind can tell you how to control your fear. Aviophobia stems from over anxiety about tragic air accidents. It is also a result of a misunderstanding and lack of enough knowledge on flights and the technicalities of the aircraft itself. If you are able to educate yourself on these things, it will be easier for you to understand and realize that some of your fears on flying could be far-fetched.

#2 Clear your mind before and during the flight.

Fear of flying is a phobia caused by untoward incidents that might happen in the air. Experts say that this fear is all in the mind of the person. So, if the person tries to clear his or her mind from things that might happen, he or she might be able to overcome the fear in no time. To clear your mind off negative thoughts, you can try practicing relaxation techniques before and during the flight such as breathing that is controlled, rejection of negative thinking by making a conscious effort, and indulging into distractions such as reading, listening to music or watching airline movies.

#3 Learn about “desensitization.”

Experts say that this process is usually conducted during a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) wherein the person who has developed fear in flying is slowly exposed to the conditions of flying until he or she is able to face the fears and learn to overcome them.

#4 Seek professional help.

Some people have deep-rooted aviophobia that is why they are having a hard time overcoming fear of flying. If you think that your phobia on flying has reached bigger proportions and it already affects your life in general, it is best to consult a professional to check on you. This professional can either be a psychologist or a psychiatrist who can check your emotional and even your mental health if needed. The doctor will recommend some treatment options such as drug therapy. If you have a mild condition, he or she will teach you relaxation techniques that you can administer at home in managing and controlling your anxiety attacks.

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