What to Do When Turbulence Gives You Anxiety
What to Do When Turbulence Gives You Anxiety
If you're like me and have struggled with a bit of flying anxiety, you know that handling turbulence can be a real challenge. But the good news, is that I’ve learned how to become much more confident as a flyer. In this blog, I'll share some tips that have helped me and might help you too.
Learn about the aircraft: Ever wondered how planes handle turbulence? I stumbled upon this TikTok video that compares planes to jello. It's a great visual and helps you to understand turbulence so you can put your mind at ease.
Expect the Bumps: Easier said than done, right? But expecting turbulence as a normal part of flying can actually make a huge difference. If you approach flying by hoping you don’t have a turbulent flight, then it’s going to add to your anxiety because you are expecting something that you have no control over.
Skip the Turbulence Apps: Planning to predict turbulence with an app? Hold that thought. These apps are notoriously inaccurate, and pilots are the real pros at navigating through turbulence. Trust their expertise and save yourself from unnecessary worry.
Lift Your Feet: I haven't personally tried this one, but some swear by it. During turbulence, raise your feet off the floor. It supposedly reduces the sensations you feel. Give it a shot and let me know if it works for you!
Don't Let Fear Dictate Your Choices: Choosing a specific seat, time of day to fly, or specific destinations won't make turbulence disappear. So don’t create conditions for yourself on where you will fly to in attempt to avoid turbulence. Plan your trips based on where you want to go and work on handling your anxiety (rather than trying to control turbulence).
Pilot's Perspective: Pilots prefer flying through turbulence for efficiency. Knowing this gave me a whole new perspective. They're not avoiding it for safety reasons but to provide more comfort. Trust in their experience and let that ease your mind.
Keep Flying: The more you fly, the more familiar and comfortable you become with the process. I had a period of time years ago with frequent trips, and it honestly made me feel like a pro flyer. I became so experienced with flying that the bumps didn’t phase me. Keep flying, face your fears, and you’ll get more confident.
If you need more help with flying anxiety, Grab the Free Flight Anxiety Toolkit for my top 12 tips here.