How I plan to overcome anxiety about flying after recent deadly air accidents
When you are worrying about a mid-air plane crash how do you keep calm and fly on? Five tips for how to stop feeling anxious when travelling
I have always been a nervous flier. The second I take my assigned seat in a plane, I pull my headphones over my ears and glue my eyes shut in an attempt to drown out the sound of a plane taking off.
Research shows that up to 40 per cent of Americans report some degree of flight anxiety. Given the recent string of incidents, experts say it is understandable that those with flight anxiety would feel more on edge than usual.
“The odds of something happening don’t matter as much to the anxious brain,” says Andrea Bonior, a teaching professor in Georgetown University’s department of psychology in Washington. “The anxious brain is drawn in by the horrific stakes of something.”
So how should you approach your next flight? Here are five tips to ease your mind before take-off.
1. Know the facts
Despite recent headlines, the adage “you have a greater chance of dying in the car on the way to the airport than on a flight from the airport” remains true. Commercial airliners are the safest plane for passengers, according to aviation experts.