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Nervous Flier? Use Mindfulness To Cope With Flight Anxiety

It's proven and it works. Hear us out.
Flights don't need to be stressful.
Ashim A'Silva/Unsplash.
Flights don't need to be stressful.

A huge amount of travellers get nervous about flying and really, who can blame them? A ginormous metal structure carrying thousands of kilograms of food, people and luggage through thin air boggles the mind of most of us. Except maybe aerospace engineer, but how many of them are there?

Sure, you can go to the doctor for medicinal relief, or you can skoll a glass or two of red wine and hope for the best. A more positive approach, however, would be to engage in mindfulness to calm and control your own nerves.

We're not saying you need to hold the hands of the strangers seated next to you and sing Kumbaya. We're talking about subtle and quick methods that are proven to reverse negative thoughts and feelings.

  • Sit in your airplane seat (or the lounge if you're anxious pre-flight) with your hands rested in your lap;
  • Pay attention to your breathing. Literally let the mind acknowledge breathing in and out as it happens naturally;
  • Ask your mind to pat attention to your diaphragm or stomach expanding each time you breathe in and out;
  • If you find that your thoughts start to wander or fears creep in gently direct your mind back to focusing on breathing in and out.

Other methods include body scan meditation and colouring in to promote calmness. Don't knock it til you've tried it.

For more notes on how mindfulness works and how it can help ease your fear of flying (as well as how you can be more present on your trip once you get to your destination!) check out the below infographic and save it to your phone.

Happy travels!

Swissotel

Infographic from Swissotel.

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