How to Feel Calmer About Flying, One Step at a Time

Fear of flying can affect more than the hours spent on an aircraft. The difficult part might begin while booking, packing or imagining how you will feel at take-off.

Understanding the fear is a useful starting point. This guide explains what it can involve, offers practical ways to prepare and describes professional support. An optional guided recording is introduced at the end.

What is fear of flying?

Fear of flying is sometimes called aviophobia. It can range from travel nerves to a persistent fear that causes substantial distress or avoidance.

The US National Institute of Mental Health includes flying among the situations associated with specific phobias. These involve intense fear that is disproportionate to the actual danger and may lead someone to avoid the situation or endure it with considerable anxiety. Read NIMH’s explanation of phobias.

Feeling nervous before a flight does not, by itself, establish a diagnosis. If you are unsure what you are experiencing, a qualified healthcare professional can help assess it.

Why fear can feel physical

Fear is not only a stream of worried thoughts. Phobias can involve a racing or noticeable heartbeat, trembling, nausea, dizziness and tightness in the chest. The NHS overview of phobias describes these symptoms and their impact.

A physical sensation may become another focus of worry: you notice your heartbeat, then wonder whether you will panic. That is one reason a simple instruction to “stop worrying” may feel unhelpful.

Do not automatically assume that new, severe or unexplained symptoms are anxiety. Seek medical help when appropriate, and tell cabin crew if you feel unwell during a flight.

Identify the part of flying that troubles you

A useful question is: What exactly am I expecting to find difficult?

You might be concerned about take-off, movement during the flight, feeling confined or becoming anxious in front of other people. Treat these as possibilities to consider, rather than labels you must fit.

Write down your main concern in one sentence. Then separate a practical question from a prediction.

“Where can I ask for assistance?” has an answer you can seek before travelling. “What if I feel frightened the whole time?” is a prediction about a future experience. You can acknowledge that concern without treating it as an established fact.

This distinction can help you decide what information or support to ask for.

What to know about turbulence

Turbulence is irregular movement of air. It can occur in different weather conditions, including apparently clear skies. The US Federal Aviation Administration describes it as a normal, frequent part of flying, while also emphasising that unexpected movement can cause injuries.

The practical response is to keep your seat belt fastened while seated, follow crew instructions and pay attention to the safety briefing. A reassuring article should never encourage you to ignore the seat-belt sign or assume that every movement is harmless. FAA guidance on turbulence and passenger safety.

For questions about a particular flight, use information from your airline and crew. An online guide cannot assess the conditions on your aircraft.

Five practical ways to prepare for a flight

1. Make the practical arrangements early

Check your documents, baggage requirements, airport route and the arrival time recommended by your airline. Keep essential details together so they are easy to find.

If you need assistance, contact the airline or airport ahead of time. A short checklist gives you specific tasks to complete without repeatedly reviewing the entire journey.

2. Practise comfortable breathing before travel day

The NHS recommends gentle, regular breathing without forcing its depth, and notes that regular practice is useful. Try it somewhere comfortable before relying on it during a stressful moment. NHS breathing exercises for stress.

Keep the breath easy. Avoid turning it into a performance or repeatedly taking large breaths to try to force calm. If you feel uncomfortable, stop the exercise and breathe normally.

3. Tell someone what would help

Consider telling a travelling companion that you are nervous. You could ask for ordinary conversation, help keeping track of the next step or a little quiet.

You can also tell cabin crew that you feel anxious and ask what support is available. Be specific about your concern instead of assuming you have to manage it privately.

4. Prepare an ordinary activity you enjoy

Pack a book or choose another quiet activity that suits you. It gives you something pleasant to do during appropriate parts of the journey.

This is a comfort choice, not a treatment for a phobia or a requirement to distract yourself continuously. Keep announcements audible and give safety information your full attention.

5. Arrange further support if you need it

If fear is intense or repeatedly stops you travelling, make support part of your preparation. The NHS advises contacting a GP when phobia symptoms affect your life. It also suggests checking whether airlines offer sessions for people with phobias. NHS advice on getting help.

Ask what any course includes, who delivers it and whether it is suitable for your needs. You do not have to wait until departure day to seek help.

What treatments have evidence behind them?

NIMH identifies psychotherapy as the primary treatment approach for phobias. Cognitive behavioural therapy, or CBT, works with patterns of thinking, behaviour and responses to feared situations.

Exposure therapy is a CBT method that NIMH describes as particularly effective for phobias. It involves working with feared situations to help someone re-engage with activities they have avoided. A qualified clinician can discuss an approach suited to your circumstances. NIMH guidance on phobia treatment.

Reading reassuring information, practising relaxation and listening to a general audio recording are different from receiving an individually planned treatment programme.

If anxiety is affecting work, family visits or other parts of your life, speak with your GP or a qualified mental health professional about the options available.

A brief way to respond when worry appears

When you are safely able to pause, keep your eyes open and notice where you are. Feel your feet on the floor, take an easy breath and soften your hands if they are gripping.

You might acknowledge, “There is some nervousness,” then choose one useful action: listen to an announcement, ask a question or return to what you were doing.

Treat this as a brief wellbeing practice. It is not a test of whether you can eliminate anxiety. During an actual journey, awareness of your surroundings and crew instructions takes priority.

Optional support: our Fear of Flying recording

If you would like a structured relaxation practice to use before travelling, Fear of Flying — Feel Calm & Confident in the Air is a 37-minute 37-second guided session from Letting Go Hypnosis.

It begins with a quiet courtyard fountain and follows an imagined journey through preparation, boarding, take-off and arrival. The Letting Go process invites you to notice manageable feelings and ease some of the effort around them. There is also time to imagine enjoying a quiet activity during the flight.

You can leave out scenes, keep them distant or stop. The session ends with a gradual return to alertness.

This recording supports general wellbeing. It does not replace treatment for a phobia or promise to remove fear or prevent panic. How Hypnosis Works explains the format of our guided recordings.

Listen free or buy your own copy

Listen to the complete recording free on YouTube

Try the full session before deciding whether you would like your own copy.

Buy the permanent, ad-free MP3

The website purchase includes permanent access and unlimited re-downloads, with one payment and no subscription.

You can also explore the Letting Go Hypnosis Android app or browse the wider recording collection.