How to Overcome Your Fear of Flying from a Mental Health Professional

Guest Post by Singeli Zaparaniuk, LMT, CH

Singeli Zaparaniuk, LMT, CH is a practicing licensed massage therapist, Certified Hypnotist, and sound therapist in Chicago, IL. Learn more about her services at Elemental Healing Arts Studio.

Fear of flying holding you back?

Does the thought of going to an airport, boarding a plane, or even seeing a plane make you think twice about booking that trip you’ve been eyeing? Here are 5 tips to help you feel confident the next time you want to take a weekend getaway! 

Think back to when this fear first started 

Chances are you developed your fear of flying in childhood. Was someone in your life afraid of flying? Did you witness, see on tv/in a movie, or read about a horrific plane crash when you were younger? Think back and write down everything you remember about when first started experiencing this fear. As you write, check-in with yourself. If you find you’re getting triggered, take a moment to pause and come back when you’re ready to continue. When you’re done, look back and process this fear of flying.  

Educate yourself

Learn more about airplanes and aviation. Our minds are programmed to look out for potential threats and dangers. This means we’re wired to find what might go wrong. Luckily, if you learn everything you can about airplanes and airplane safety, you can remind yourself there’s nothing to fear. There is approx (don’t quote me!) a 1 in 11 million chance of dying in a plane crash while there’s a 1 in 103 chance of dying in a vehicle crash. 

Find your zen

Try some deep breathing, meditation, or listen to calming music. Write down what you do to calm yourself when you’re experiencing anxiety. Now, apply that to flying. Maybe you do some Box breathing, download a calming Spotify playlist, have a mantra you repeat to yourself. Personally, I use music, deep breathing, and a fidget cube to help calm my nerves. Play around with different ways you already use to calm down. If you need medication to chill out, that’s ok. Talk to your doctor about it and see if medication would be a good choice.   

Move your body

As mentioned above, it’s about managing this fear — if your anxiety starts to spiral out of control, do some deep breathing and move your body. Movement is medicine. Try slow-wiggling your toes 15 times, then your fingers, all while taking deep breaths in and out. Once your breathing returns to normal, listen to your body: does it feel like running, punching, jumping, or something else? Try some of these instead: Grounding Techniques  

Hypnosis

Hypnosis taps into your subconscious and is a highly effective way to manage any fear. Find a good hypnosis track on Youtube or, if you can afford it, hire a professional certified hypnotist. In just one session the hypnotist can personalize a session to your specific triggers and help you overcome your fear of flying. You will enter a state of suggestibility and the hypnotist will provide your mind with other ways to think and feel while flying rather than fear.

Want to learn more? Visit Elemental Healing Arts Studio for more info and to see if hypnosis is right for you.