Seeing all the plane crashes in the media lately has spiked concerns over flying. Have you ever experienced flight anxiety or fear of flying before this?
What Does Flight Anxiety Feel Like?
The sweaty palms, racing heart, and incredibly tense shoulders start to feel overwhelming when sitting on an airplane. The tiny armrests are digging into your hips, and it feels like it’s getting hotter as each person shuffles into their seat. You look around and see everyone acting so calmly. How can anyone be calm on a metal tube that is somehow going to be flying in the sky? The bizarre reality of it all starts to feel suffocating and before you know it, you want to get off the plane.
Running down the aisle and banging on the door so it can be opened for you is a daydream you welcome. Maybe you get to deboard, maybe you get a coffee at the airport before driving home and maybe you avoid a plane crash because you chose to get off the plane. You saved your own life, right? This is an example of flight anxiety.
To some, flight anxiety doesn’t seem like a big issue, just deal with it and fly. The thing is, when flight anxiety is severe it might interfere with work trips and seeing loved ones which are some of the negative impacts of flight anxiety.
Related: What is Anxiety?
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Immediate Relief: Managing Flight Anxiety in the Moment
At the Gate
Some ways you can cope with flight anxiety start pre-flight. Making sure you wake up early enough to come to the airport, check in, and settle in at the gate is a great way to ease any anxiety. Try to get a bite to eat, or drink some water to stay hydrated. Try to stay away from caffeine before the flight as it can raise anxiety levels, which is what we’re aiming to avoid.
Focus on grounding yourself while waiting at the gate by doing breathwork exercises, putting headphones on to meditate, or bringing a fidget toy to put your anxious energy into. It’s also a great time to try and communicate with airline staff about any information you may need about the flight, or emergency protocols, to ease your mind. Sometimes preparation is the best way to become comfortable.
Easing Anxiety During the Flight
After you’ve boarded the flight, you might start to feel the anxiety rise or begin to rise as the reality of being on the plane sets in.
When you sit down, place your feet flat on the ground and do some deep breathing exercises. Close your eyes and breathe in for 5 seconds, then slowly breathe out, which will help calm you. If that doesn’t work, you can look around to see your surroundings, breathe in deeply and see what you smell, touch the tray in front of you to see how it feels, and chew some gum so you can focus on how it tastes. Using all your senses to focus on other things instead of your anxiety is key.
Another great tool is using flight comfort accessories to make things more comfortable. Using a neck pillow, an eye mask, noise-canceling headphones and even bringing a blanket can all be things that help you relax. Utilizing distractions like watching movies, playing games on your phone, reading, listening to a podcast, doing a crossword puzzle, drawing and writing can all be useful to distract yourself on the flight. It not only distracts you, but the time will go by so much faster, which is helpful.
It’s great to have conversations with the flight attendants and pay attention when they go over emergency protocols. Understanding what to do in a worst-case scenario can make you feel more at ease.
What is Flight Anxiety?
The intense anxious thoughts that swirl in your mind about flying are a symptom of flight anxiety. The severity can vary with flight anxiety. It can be mild, where it takes up your mind for a few days before a flight, on the flight, and even a few days after you land. It can also be so severe that you avoid flying and refuse to get on a plane for years. Missing weddings, work-related trips, new experiences, and travel moments because of fear. Regardless of where you fall on the scale of severity, it doesn’t change how difficult flight anxiety is to deal with.
What is Aerophobia?
If you are someone who can’t get on a plane or can’t even think about boarding one because it spikes fear, you may have Aerophobia. This is an extreme fear of flying, to the point where pictures of planes, or trying to imagine boarding one can cause intense fear or even panic and anxiety attacks.
Most people experience a level of flight anxiety, which is completely normal. Some people think flight anxiety isn’t valid, but knowingly entering something that has a small risk of a fatal outcome can be terrifying.
Related: List of Phobias: Fears and Symptoms
Physical and Emotional Symptoms of Flight Anxiety
Some symptoms of flight anxiety that you may experience include [1]:
- Upset stomach
- Excessive sweating
- Rapid heartbeat
- Dizziness
- Shortness of breath
- Tension headache
- Sudden panic attack
Common Causes and Risk Factors
Experiencing flight anxiety can be for a variety of reasons. Some may have had negative flight experiences in the past that have stuck with them. It could have been bad turbulence, a rocky landing, or issues with the plane while flying [3].
If you have an upcoming flight or have experienced a flight in bad weather, this can create a lot of anxiety. Watching too much news around issues with flights and planes can also spike your fear of flying. In addition, being in such a closed space with nowhere to go for an extended amount of time can trigger some claustrophobic anxiety.
Long-Term Management Strategies
Overcoming flight anxiety requires more than just in-the-moment coping techniques—it demands consistent strategies that address the root of your fears. The following approaches focus on preparation and self-care practices that can significantly reduce anxiety before you even step foot on an airplane.
Preparation Techniques
When preparing to fly, try to learn about aircraft safety statistics. This will shed some light on the frequency of plane crashes, which are less than car accidents, or even train accidents. According to USA Facts, air travel had the lowest rate of injury rates in comparison to railroads, cars, trucks, buses, and motorcycles. The highest rate of injury ended up being motorcycles out of all the transportation mentioned [4].
Trust The Professional
With so much misinformation, it’s hard to figure out what information to trust. Flying anxiety becomes harder to deal with when you are overwhelmed trying to find the right information about flight safety. Your best bet is to always trust the professionals. If pilots start striking, you’ll know it’s unsafe to fly but until then relying on the current statistics paints the clearest picture of your safety.
Self-Help Methods
Another great way to prepare for a flight is to focus on regulating your everyday anxiety. This could be by tracking your anxiety to see what seems to trigger it, or when it spikes in general. Journaling about your worries can also ease anxiety, along with making sure to get your daily workout in to regulate your nervous system. Most may not think that everyday self-care can contribute to alleviating flight anxiety, but it absolutely can.
Related: Coping Skills for Anxiety: 10 Strategies to Help You Find Relief
Professional Treatment Options
If you feel like your flight anxiety is not alleviated, or getting any better with your coping techniques, it might be time to consider professional help.
Therapy Approaches
A therapeutic approach can be effective when it comes to handling your anxiety. During your therapy sessions, you are able to learn different techniques to cope with your anxiety. You may also overcome the flight anxiety you are feeling with enough therapy, although this varies depending on the severity.
A few different treatment approaches to consider:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – This therapeutic tool is used in sessions so you can help confront and navigate your thinking patterns and behaviors. You can challenge your negative thoughts about flying and hopefully better manage the anxieties around it [2].
Exposure therapy – A therapist can use exposure therapy, by recommending different levels of exposure to help manage your flight anxiety. You can look up information on airplane protocols before a flight, watch videos of planes taking off, and eventually try to go on a trip. This will always go at your pace, and when you are ready to be exposed to new levels of your flight anxiety.
Virtual Reality Treatment – Sometimes simulations of plane rides can be helpful in overcoming flight anxiety. Most virtual reality treatment for flights is based in a cabin that creates sounds, smells and more to simulate being on an actual plane. The difference is being in a controlled environment.
EDMR for Flight Related Trauma – EDMR therapy can be used to recall memories when you experienced fear on a plane. You would be able to walk through the memory and express the feelings that came up in your body at that moment. You’d work through it with your therapist and eventually learn coping skills for it.
Group therapy – Entering group therapy could be beneficial for someone who wants to be around others with similar experiences and fears. This can be comforting for some and make them more inclined to work on their difficulties with flying.
Clear Behavioral Health’s Approach
If you feel like you have tried everything, and even your therapy sessions don’t seem to be improving your flight anxiety, Clear Behavioral Health’s anxiety treatment programs might be the approach for you.
Related: Anxiety Treatment: What Works and What Doesn’t
Outpatient Mental Health Programs
Clear Behavioral Health offers outpatient mental health programs, which are great options for someone who still wants the flexibility of going to work and maintaining a social life while receiving treatment. When attending the program, you’ll experience one-on-one therapy that will help you create goals to tackle your flight anxiety. Based on the severity of your flight anxiety, your personal background, and your mental health history you’ll get a personalized treatment plan from our professionals.
As you attend sessions, there will be progress tracking so any adjustments can be made based on your journey. Another addition to attending an outpatient mental health treatment program means you have immediate help so you can reintegrate into everyday life. Flight anxiety can be a trigger for daily anxiety in other areas of your life, which is why managing it is so critical.
Group Therapy Components
During the outpatient mental health program, you’ll also attend group therapy. This modality will offer support from peers who are experiencing similar emotions. This creates an environment to freely share, empathize, and practice active listening. Having a community support system is always beneficial when you are trying to work on your mental health.
Contact our experts today to learn more about anxiety treatment programs in the Los Angeles, California area.
Taking the First Step
Even after your coping strategies are used, and your flight anxiety has not improved, it’s important to seek help. Finding long-term solutions can alleviate a lot of stress and bring new experiences like traveling into your life. Even accepting a new job that includes travel will be something you can now consider.
When flight anxiety becomes too much, or you suspect you have aerophobia, reach out to Clear Behavioral Health to learn more about our mental health programs. We offer a wide range of treatment options throughout the Los Angeles, CA area including outpatient programs in Van Nuys, Santa Clarita, and El Segundo. If you’re unable to attend in-person treatment, we also have a virtual IOP serving all of California.
Treatment is never a one-size-fits-all, which is why Clear Behavioral Health will be sure to tailor your treatment plan to you. The length of time it takes for your flight anxiety to improve differs for everyone, but we are ready to join you on your journey.
References:
- Aerophobia (Fear of flying). (2025, January 24). Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22431-aerophobia-fear-of-flying
- How can I overcome my fear of flying? | Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA. (n.d.). https://adaa.org/living-with-anxiety/ask-and-learn/ask-expert/how-can-i-overcome-my-fear-of-flying
- Understanding fear, anxiety, and phobias | McLean Hospital. (2025, January 18). https://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/fear-phobias
- USAFacts. (2024, December 16). Is flying safer than driving? USAFacts. https://usafacts.org/articles/is-flying-safer-than-driving/
