How to Fight a Fear of Turbulence on Flights

The captain turns the seat belt light on as the plane flies through some slightly turbulent areas. Your hands turn clammy, your heart starts racing and soon you start getting that sick feeling in your stomach. You are perfectly aware by now that you dislike those air pockets, but you also know your reaction is over the edge. Here are some tips on how to fight your fear of turbulence and prevent air sickness from arising.

Things You'll Need

• Ginger candy
• Dramamine
• Glass of water
• Books about airplanes
• Snacks
• Crossword puzzles
• MP3 player

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Instructions

• 1

  Knowledge is power, so if you fear turbulence, you may want to learn more about how airplanes are able to withstand tremendous amounts of turbulence. For example, think of how pilots conducting studies on hurricanes actually fly through them and their aircraft stays intact. Purchase a book that explains how strongly aircraft are built or print out similar information from websites to bring along on your flight.

• 2

  If you find yourself nervous several days prior to your trip as you hear worrisome weather forecasts, try to accept your anxiety rather than fighting it. Accept it as if it were a headache or any other physical ailment.

• 3

  If you are prone to motion sickness, you may want to take Dramamine at least one hour before you board the plane. There are non-drowsy formulations, but if you are very anxious, you might prefer to feel slightly drowsy. Eating ginger candy or crackers works well to counteract nausea, too, so take those snacks on board.

• 4

  As you board, letting the flight attendants know you are worried about the flight may have a surprising therapeutic effect. They may be able to reassure you and tell you their own stories of how they were able to overcome fears. They are used to dealing with fearful fliers, so there's no reason to fear embarrassed.

• 5

  Imagine turbulence as the equivalent of riding a car over some pot holes. No big deal! Now, ask for a glass of water and place it on the food tray. When you encounter turbulence, watch how much the water in the plastic cup moves. You may be amazed that the water will almost never spill, whereas if you were traveling in your car, the bumps from pot holes would probably spill most of the water within minutes.

• 6

  Keep yourself busy. Munch on tasty snacks, concentrate on a crossword puzzle or bring along your favorite music. In particular, try to bring some disco music, put it on loud and close your eyes. Pretend to be at a cool disco with lights swirling around you. When bumps arrive, you can imagine yourself dancing in a disco.

• 7

  Last but not least, understand that ultimately you are the one in control. It is up to you to decide if you will overcome your fear of turbulence or if you will nurture it and allow it to disrupt your trip.