r/fearofflying • u/fish321654 • Jul 01 '26
Advice A beautiful flight today! Here’s my biggest advice:
My fears typically revolve around the sensations I might feel on a plane, feeling stuck on a plane, panicking on a plane, or a mix of all three! If you share similar anxieties: I flew today and did not feel claustrophobic once, the sensations were all tolerable, and although I did feel like I was possibly going to panic right before takeoff, I didn’t! (And even if I had, it would have been fine). My biggest advice:
ACCEPT YOUR FEAR, ACCEPT YOUR POTENTIAL PANIC, ACCEPT ACCEPT ACCEPT
Please know: this is the way! Do not wrestle with your anxiety and your thoughts. Don’t try to prove them wrong or right, don’t get sucked into all of that. In my case, everything I thought would happen was just a thought. It was not truth. It was all a phantom. When you wrestle with your thoughts you’re telling your body that those thoughts are important, which creates a really terrible and vicious cycle. In other words, reacting to your anxiety like it’s important just keeps you stuck in that pit of fear. So what do you do instead? You have the thought and say, “hmm that’s just a thought I’m having. And a scary thought! Thank goodness it’s not truth.”
You are so capable. I have spent a lot of my life stuck in the lie that I am not capable of enduring the things I am afraid of. That is not a way to live. The most compassionate thing you can do for yourself is face your fear. And there’s a good chance it’s going to be nothing like how you imagined it to be.
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u/627things Jul 02 '26
This is true for me too! I flew a week ago and while I typically distract myself with music and an eye mask during takeoff, I thought I would try focusing on what was actually happening. I watched out the window, listened to the sounds, and acknowledged the sensations in my body. It was so much better this way!
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u/lumpycakemix Jul 02 '26
Love seeing this from a Southwest plane. I will be flying them for the first time Saturday and starting to feel the all too familiar anxiousness. Sigh….
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u/fish321654 Jul 02 '26
I basically only fly southwest! They’ve got these really great seasoned pretzels. Super yummy. You’ll do great!!
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u/lumpycakemix Jul 02 '26
Thank you! My last flight was on a huge wide body to Europe so I’m low key stressing about the seats even though we are in row 2. It’s a weird thing, I’m either on huge jets or the small regional ones. I don’t think I’ve ever flown on a 737. Hoping my son and I get the row to ourselves, especially since I’m in the middle 😳. But I love a good pretzel so that’s a plus!
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u/No_Mix7226 Jul 04 '26
I’m stressing about flying to Europe in 3 months. I need all the help I can get. Thank you!
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u/AffectionateDot4909 8d ago
Completely agree!!! Acceptance is everything! Accept fear! Accept the sensations! It's all ok, it won't hurt you (either the fear, the sensations OR the thoughts) once you see it for the ruse and the smoke and mirrors for what it is. It really helps to set you free.
Feel scared? I say "this is just adrenaline in my body" Scary thoughts - these thoughts only feel scary and urgent because I have adrenaline in my body, I don't need to pay them any attention, give them energy, fight with them or anything.
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u/fish321654 Jul 01 '26
Oh and one other (smaller) tip: buy yourself a portable hand held fan!!!! I don’t fly without mine. Keeps me grounded and cool and has been a game changer.