If you are traveling with someone who is nervous about flying, it can be hard to know what to say or do. Most people have good intentions when attempting to alleviate another person’s anxiety. But sometimes those good intentions can lead to your travel partner feeling upset and unsupported.
5 mistakes to avoid when traveling with an anxious traveler:
Do not encourage the anxious flyer to drink alcohol or use drugs to handle their anxiety. Although alcohol can help people relax, it isn’t effective for everyone. It can cause additional problems for anxious traveler. For example, getting dehydrated from alcohol can increase their anxiety symptoms. If your travel partner gets intoxicated on the flight, it could cause other problems like saying something embarrassing or passing out and unable to wake in the event of an actual emergency. And some people are on medications that could be dangerous to take with alcohol, so it’s important not to suggest it if you don’t know the impact it could have on them.
Do not tell them to calm down. Rarely is this ever effective. If it was that simple then they would do this on their own. it is never helpful to hear that when you are anxious. Instead try offering something specific like a back rub or “lets take some deep breaths together” or “I’m here with you, you’re safe.”
Remember that there is nothing you can say to "talk them out of their fear." Most anxious flyers know that they are safe but their brain tricks them in the moment. Validate their feelings and let them know you understand how hard this for them. If you try to “fix their thinking” then you will only cause them to shut down and feel frustrated.
Don’t be late. A person who is nervous to fly does not need added stress on top of their worry. Allowing for plenty of time will allow them to keep their stress low so they keep their worry at bay.
Be aware of your behavior. Someone who is anxious is going to be easily irritable. So if you have any habits that they other person finds annoying (like chewing with your mouth open or talking loudly) then that may add to their stress. Try not to take it personally and realize that their tolerance for anything bothersome is really low. Do your best to mitigate the behavior to help them feel more relaxed.
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