Every human being has experienced fear. This is something uniting each and every one of us, no matter biological, geographical or historical background. It’s a natural and, unfortunately, crucial part achieving long-term success, personal growth and fulfillment in life.
Fear is a trait none of us was born with, all fears are learned throughout the course one’s life. No one is born with fears. Therefore, luckily, all fears can also be unlearned by repeatedly practiced self-discipline.
The fear of flying is one of the most common and shared anxieties out there. Below, we have listed the most effective steps to getting around this fear and kicking out of your life once and for all.
1 . Read Up On Facts
All fears are created within ourselves as mechanism for survival. The problem is these usually come about from amplified news segments or catastrophized movies, looking to scoop up any anxious I-told-you-so’ers they can get their hands on.
A great first step in the right direction for anyone fearing traveling by plane, is to take a look at the facts. The slim chances of one dying from a plane crash is so small researchers has debated whether it’s actually worth calculating. For example, the chances of dying in a car crash are one in 5,000. To put that into perspective, the odds of dying in a shark attack are one in 3.1 million.
If we look at flying, David Ropeik, a Risk Communication instructor at Harvard University, found in 2006 that the odds of dying in a plane crash are one in 11 million.
2. Demystify Turbulence
Turbulence can cause a lot of nervous flyers out there to twist and turn a little extra on their seats. Whilst this is completely normal, due to that lack of control a passenger actually have, you may rest assured that turbulence doesn’t have any direct connection to crashing whatsoever.
Airplanes are similar to ships in that regard. Airplanes travel on wind flow, whilst ships cruise through the ocean. Most of the time, this wind will stay smooth, providing you with a comfortable flight. However, from time to time, this smooth air turns choppy – like waves on the ocean – causing the plane to sway and bounce a bit whilst flying through the sky.
3 . Book An Aisle Seat
As previously mentioned, fear comes about within the mind, and has nothing to do with your immediate physical reality. Therefore, another way to get around the mental roadblock of flying, spending an extra tiny bit of money may provide a world of difference whilst on your way to your destination.
Many people have reported a great mental reassurance in both putting down a bit of pocket money to ensure an aisle seat close to an emergency exit, as well as being well-informed on how to file a plane accident claim.
As the fear of flying is very subjective and personal challenge, finding your own way of managing and kicking the fear out of your life once and for all, is a journey you’ll have to make by yourself. Therefore, finding what works for you will only come about once action is being taken. So don’t sweat it if your fear of flying is currently stopping you from living your best life possible, you can beat it, and the reward for beating any fear will always leave you with a feeling of sweet and luminous bliss.