There are few luxuries in life like resting back in a comfy chair with hours of entertainment at your fingertips and unlimited refreshments on tap, all while you soar above the clouds to an exciting new destination. So why, when we fly, do many of us find ourselves gripping onto the armrests, heart pounding, desperate to escape?
We know that our fear of flying isn’t rational – after all, air travel is one of the safest modes of transport, with everything from aircraft design to cabin crew training all geared towards the highest possible levels of safety. And yet, flight anxiety is both real and prevalent.
“It's very normal for people to experience anxiety when they're on flights,” says Dr Michelle Chan, a clinical psychologist . “Anxiety isn’t necessarily a disorder; it’s just a feeling, like joy and sadness. Think of the film Inside Out.”
Dr. Chan explains that a fear of flying can stem from multiple contributing factors.
“From a psychological standpoint, it can be a case of people liking to control things,” says Dr Chan. “We might be fine when we’re the driver. But when we fly, we don't have control – over what the aircraft or the weather will be like, or whether there’ll be delays.
“There can also be situational factors, such as a previous bad experience – not necessarily our own, but a story recounted by a friend or reported in the news. These stories, which tend to be negative, can give us a skewed perception of flying.”
Then there’s the long checklist of things you need to do before you travel – from booking excursions to packing your suitcase – which can make it difficult to switch from alert to relaxed once you board your flight.
“In the days, weeks and even months before a flight, people start to worry about things like, ‘am I going to make the flight’ or ‘will I have a long wait when transiting’”, says Dr Chan.
This means that even though you know it’s time to relax and enjoy the journey, your brain and body may struggle to do so.
Dr Chan explains: “If your anxiety is mild – at the level of, ‘oh, perhaps the weather won’t be good today’ – you might be able to talk yourself out of it. You can remind yourself that pilots are able to fly in all kinds of weather. We call this cognitive reframing.
“However, when your level of anxiety shoots up, it’s no use trying to tell yourself ‘I shouldn’t be anxious’,” she continues. “You’ll have repetitive negative thoughts. You may experience shortness of breath, palpitations, tense muscles, a headache, or even nausea.”
These responses in your brain and body hardly make for a pleasant start to your holiday. The good news, however, is that there are ways to mitigate them.
“Something I always tell my clients is to be a PAL to yourself,” says Dr Chan. Each letter of this easy-to-remember acronym denotes a step you can take to reduce your anxiety.
P – pause and be present
“Being present stops us from ruminating on the past or catastrophising about the future,” says Dr Chan. “It frees up a bit of space in our head.
“One way to be more present is to do breathing exercises. Some people find box breathing helpful: you breathe in for four seconds, hold it for four seconds, breathe out for four seconds, wait for four seconds, then repeat.
“Another approach is to focus on your five senses, as this helps to ground you. Name five things you can see, four things you can hear, three things you can smell, two things you can touch and finally the taste in your mouth.”
A – acknowledge and be aware
“The more you try to avoid a feeling, the more it will come and grab you,” Dr Chan explains. “Instead, name your feelings one by one. For example, ‘I'm scared, but I'm also excited, meanwhile I'm also bored’. Acknowledge them and be aware of how they feel in your body.”
She adds: “You don’t have to love them, but be open to them.”
L – listen for self-care
“So, what can I do to help myself? Here, the idea is to find something that's self-soothing,” says Dr Chan. “It might be mindful breathing again or listening to music. Some clients tell me they love watching comedies. Others love to draw, so they bring their sketch pads. I think the most important thing is to get creative.”
“There is such a thing as positive distraction,” she adds. “It doesn’t mean we are ignoring our feelings, because we’ve already acknowledged them in the previous step.”
In addition to mental exercises, you can also take practical steps to reduce your stress levels before and during your flight.
Caffeine can cause restlessness, unease, or an increased heart rate – not ideal if you’re already experiencing pre-flight jitters. On the day of your flight, it’s a good idea to skip your morning coffee and opt instead for a soothing JING chamomile tea . Good news: you’ll also find this range of teas in Cathay Pacific First class and Business cabins.
Feeling well-equipped for your journey can help banish those niggling worries. A rucksack with compartments ensures your belongings are organised, within easy reach, and less likely to be forgotten. Dr Chan also recommends preparing a “wellness toolkit”. “This can be a list of things to do on your flight if you feel anxious, along with some items that may help you,” she says.
As Dr Chan explains, “getting yourself physically comfortable is important, because when you're anxious, you're all tensed up and that exhausts a lot of energy”. Items such as an eye mask , a neck pillow or travel blanket can help put your body and mind at ease.
Putting on a pair of noise-cancelling headphones can help you create your own peaceful environment in which you can listen to relaxing music or a podcast. “I remember Cathay planes have audio and video guides from Headspace, so you can try different meditation exercises,” notes Dr Chan. She has also created her own collection of music designed to aid mindfulness and relaxation.
Dehydration may lead to headaches or nausea, so a good rule of thumb is to drink one cup of water every hour. Carrying a reuseable water bottle can help you stay on target – your inflight cabin crew will be only too happy to refill it for you.
Travelling with a friend or partner not only means getting to enjoy a trip together; it also provides you with extra support. “If you have someone with you, try to let them know in advance what you need from them,” says Dr Chan. “Explain that words like ‘stay calm’ or ‘don’t worry’ don’t work, and that instead you’d like them to just keep you company, or perhaps watch a funny movie with you.”
Dr Chan’s final piece of wisdom: our anxiety shouldn’t keep us from having meaningful experiences.
“It can be useful to reflect on why you want to take the flight,” she says. “Is your goal to visit family, to have some fun? When you know what’s important to you, you can tell yourself: ‘I don’t care if I’m anxious, it doesn't mean I can't do the things I want.’”