I think I am going to die every time I fly in an airplane. Every time.
As we begin our “final descent” my palms are sweating profusely, I think of my loved ones and make peace with my unfortunate situation. Eyes closed and head resting against the window, my heart beats like crazy. The plane is trembling, swaying and slightly dipping. It does not feel safe. I peek out the window: “We are flying too low. I see mountains but…where’s LA?” I hear the whirring and clunking sound of the landing gear.
I listen closely. It sounds as if the engine has turned off! What have I gotten myself into? I start to feel a little better as I see the buildings around LAX. The generic structures on Sepulveda Boulevard come into focus. I see In-and-Out (please let me live long enough to enjoy another…)and the Ralph’s grocery store. I close my eyes until I hear the wheels touch down. This is the best sound in the world. My worst fear is not the plane crashing, but getting a full blown anxiety attack while in the air. That scenario is more likely, given that flying is the safest form of travel.
I get nervous as I book my ticket, even months in advance. Two days before the flight I start to feel woozy. I snap at people, find it difficult to eat and have trouble concentrating. On the day of the trip I face reality. I calm down and get into “flight mode”. Despite my intense fear and dislike of flying I am still able to travel 2-3 times a year by plane. Other than the usual anxiety-preventing tips, such as canceling trips during bad weather and getting to the airport early and flying only non-stop, I carry some essential items with me in the bag underneath the seat in front of me.
Portable mp3 player with a variety of songs and pod-casts. I like programs such as NPR Movies or This American Life. I find that songs from the 80’s and rap are great for distracting me and calming my mind. I read an article that stated that Brandon Flowers, the lead singer of the Killers was afraid to fly. So, I promptly removed his songs off of my flight playlist. I only include material that will induce positive associations and will serve to distract me and keep my mind occupied in a positive way. Although the flight attendants prohibit it, I keep my music on during takeoff and landing and blast the music really loud. I find this especially useful during take off. I usually conceal the player under my palm and place the earphones on my head once the attendants are seated. I can’t stress enough how helpful this is for me.
Light Reading Material. I stress the “light” part. I used to bring heavy magazines such as Vogue and Vanity Fair because I enjoy their long articles. I find it hard to concentrate during the flight and so I wasn’t really reading the articles that I wanted to–and furthermore, I was stuck carrying these heavy magazines for the rest of my trip. I bring celebrity-focused, disposable, easy reading fare like People, Star, US, National Enquirer. I remind myself that celebrities travel all the time and they are alive, aren’t they? I also love reading the Sky Mall and the Airline publications, such as Southwest Airline’s “Spirit Magazine”. These are flight-friendly and feature lots of travel related articles which also remind me that I am in good hands.
Small Stopwatch. I am fidgety enough on the flight without having to check my watch fifteen times an hour. Despite the reality, I try my best to give the appearance to others around me that I am calm. Having a small stopwatch that tracks the flight time, and that I can privately look at it anytime I need to is essential.
Dramamine and Valium. The Dramamine I take on every flight to prevent nausea and induce a sleepy feeling. I take one tablet 30 minutes before I board and I take a half tablet during the drink service. The Valium I keep in my bag “just in case”. I don’t like to mix drugs, but it’s good to know it’s there if I need it.
Small Pillow. I bring a small buckwheat hull pillow. It’s comforting and I like to keep it on my lap to rest my hands on.
Sunglasses. I like to wear these during the flight because they help me relax by keeping the light out of my eyes.
Gum. Relives stress and tastes great after breathing in all that stale air.
During a three hour flight, I might only spend a combined 15-20 minutes in what I call “moderate distress”. Takeoffs and landings stress me out, as does turbulence. But, would you rather take a 30 hour car ride? Flying is worth it because I can spend more time with my friends and family.
I generally avoid reading about “fear of flying” on the web but this is a great free website that helped me a lot http://www.fearofflyinghelp.com/.
I hope my tips will help you during your next flight!
