Got Aviophobia? Here’s How I Got Over My Fear of Flying

Your hands are trembling, your cute sweater is now damp with sweat and your heart feels like it’s trying to escape from your chest. No, you’re not having a heart attack, about to go bungee jumping or give a speech to your boss. Instead, you’re among the 33 percent of Americans who have a fear of flying.

If you have aviophobia, I can relate. As my stomach turns, I ask: How can we be so far above ground? How are we flying? Is it safe? In recent years, though, I’ve learned to cope with – if not appreciate – trips into the clouds. And with these tips, you can too!

Take a trip back in time. Nothing makes you appreciate a (short but terrifying) two-hour flight like remembering transportation history. As Low Tech Magazine explains, a sailing ship took one to two months to cross the Atlantic while one of the “advanced” steamships took 15 days. While you may not enjoy your flight, you can at least enjoy its relatively short length. Not to mention the fact that compared to driving or taking a boat, flying is a more cost-effective way to travel across the ocean.

Don’t be a stranger to the danger stats. Several sites break down the safety of flights and the average deaths per year. Some numbers from The Week that could act as your safety blanket during flights?

• The chance of a passenger dying on any given flight with a major airline? One in 4.7 million.
• Your chances of dying in a traffic accident each year? One in 14,000.
• The average yearly airline stats in the 1970s? 68 crashed planes and 1,676 fatalities.
• The average yearly airline stats today? 40 crashes and 832 deaths.

You don’t stop driving your car because of health risks, so why do so with planes?

In my experience, I needed a plan of action to keep distracted. Not sure how? Try talking to someone! If you don’t know the people seated next to you, you can still find out where they’re going and for what occasion. You can also begin to plan what you’ll do when you land, read, doodle or even train to become a Sudoku grand champion.

In addition, you can spend your flight gazing at the beautiful view outside the window. Once I realized how bright the ocean and mountains looks from above and how marshmallow-like clouds look up close, I understood why some men and women love flying so much. Before you know it, the wheels have touched down and you can savor the feeling of your sneakers finally hitting the ground.

Am I still afraid of flying? You betcha! But by researching transportation history and statistics and utilizing distractions, I can work through my fear to see the positives of flight. Now, I’m even able to look down at the Earth below and feel on top of the world!