Anxiety can cause stressful situations to become worse. Some people experience high anxiety when flying because they have many fears about their luggage, being lost in a foreign place, not being able to communicate with anyone, fearing the plane will crash on their flight, and many other fears. However, you can calm your anxiety down before you fly so it can be a better experience for you. Here are a few tips to calm yourself down if you’re feeling anxious before the plane takes off.
Create a Distraction
One thing you can do is to distract yourself from your worries. If you know you get anxious right before the plane takes off, have something to distract you, whether its music, a book, a podcast, or even a stress ball that you squeeze with all your might. Focus your attention on the distraction instead of your immediate worries. It helps if the distraction is something you enjoy, such as music or a book. It’s important for you to be relaxed during takeoff, and creating a distraction, even if it’s starting up a conversation with your seatmate, can help you relax as the plane takes off.
Take Something
Another option you have is to take something for your anxiety if it’s bad enough. You can take over the counter medication or medication from your doctor. You can also do herbal remedies, from chamomile tea (before you get to the airport) and topical essential oils. CBD is another option you can use to calm yourself down before your flight. CBD is available in many forms from lots of different stores and pharmacies. Taking something can help calm your nerves so you can relax during takeoff and throughout your flight.
Breathing Exercises
Another thing you can try is to practice breathing exercises, especially right as the plane is preparing to take off. These breathing exercises are similar to the breathing exercises done in yoga practices, where one just sits and counts their inhales and exhales. Focusing on your breathing is a special kind of distraction because slowing your breathing down also slows your heart rate and reduces your anxiety, making it easier to relax. You can practice deep breathing any time you feel super stressed, and it’s something you can do anywhere without any extra items.
To calm down your anxiety while you fly, you will need to take action. That action can be as simple as squeezing a stress ball, but it can reduce your anxiety and make your flight a more enjoyable experience.
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