If the very thought of getting on a plane can send you into a state of panic, but at the same time you want to OVERCOME this phobia – you’re not alone.

As a matter of fact, 25% of people worldwide have a fear of flying and are constantly checking the weather before boarding a plane and gripping the armrest at the slightest sound or movement when in the air, unnerving the person sitting next to them.

According to Wikipedia, fear of flying is a fear of being on an aeroplane, jet or other flying vehicle, such as a helicopter, while in flight. It is also referred to as flying anxiety, flying phobia, flight phobia, aviophobia or aerophobia.

While most “flight phobics” agree that flying is safe, they also agree that flying is frightening. They have a hard time reconciling their fear with safety statistics. Although they know their phobias are not logical, they cannot reason themselves out of one.

What causes fear of flying?

According to Martin N. Seif, fears of flying have triggers, which are thoughts, images, sensations, and memories to which flight phobics have become sensitized. A person who is sensitized to certain bodily feelings might fear turbulence or normal take-off and landing. And someone who fears heights might become terrified thinking about flying many miles above the ground.

The list of triggers is long: turbulence, take-off, landings, terrorism, crashes, social anxieties, or being too far from home. Some people fear fire, illness spread through the air system, using the toilets, or violence on a plane. Others have a “bad feeling” about their flight, afraid that their anxieties will somehow predict a catastrophe.

According to Mr. Todd Farchione, the director of Boston University’s Intensive Treatment Program for Panic Disorder and Specific Phobias, fear of heights or crashes, or not understanding how flight works, may also play a part. And flying is a uniquely terrifying activity for many people because they know that if fear or anxiety strikes during the trip, there’s little they can do, he says.

So, with no further ado, let’s get with the steps that can help you overcome your fear of flying:

Effective steps to overcome your fears of flying:

British Airways pilot Captain Steve Allright and his team spent a day talking through everything you could possibly want to know about flying, from how a plane works to what techniques you can use to stay calm. Here are a few of them and a few others suggested by Farchione:

1- Learn how a plane works

One of the main reasons people are scared of flying is a lack of knowledge on exactly how a plane is able to stay in the sky. But much like a submarine underwater or a car on the road, planes are designed to be in the air. Captain Allright explains: “a lift is produced by the wing moving through the air, which is a perfectly normal part of physics.” An aircraft flying at 30,000ft can glide for 100 miles, even if all the engines fail.

2- Trust the pilots

It can be hard to understand how anyone enjoys flying when fear takes over, but pilots really do have a passion for their jobs and have gone through a rigorous selection process and a two-year training programme to get to where they are. “It is the most highly regulated profession in the world. Pilots are retested and retrained every six months over their entire career,” says Captain Allright.

3- Understand Aircraft Turbulence

It may be uncomfortable but it’s not necessarily dangerous. Captain Allright says: “all turbulence is caused by nature and is perfectly safe because the aircraft is built to withstand even the most severe turbulence. If you have your seat belt on, you are always perfectly safe.”

4- Be Positive & Control Negative Thoughts 

It’s easy to catastrophize when you think about flying, whether it’s the wing snapping off or the engine failing. But whatever the negative thought, always visualize a happy ending where you get off the aircraft safely. This positive mentality will help reduce anxiety and keep you calm on the flight. 

5- Concentrate on your breathing

It’s impossible to panic when you can control your breathing. If you feel yourself getting anxious, even before you take off, inhale for four seconds and exhale for four seconds. Combine this with muscle contraction – clenching your buttocks while exhaling is most effective – so it overpowers the nervous signals running up and down your spinal cord, helping you to remain calm. This may sound odd, but it really works.

6- Try distraction exercises

Other techniques to try include distracting your brain from your fear. Wearing a rubber band around your wrist and pinging it when scared, snaps you back to reality and can serve as a reminder to stop overthinking. Alternatively, try firmly pressing the skin between your thumb and index finger. This pressure point is linked to anxiety and can help you remain calm.

7- Talk to the cabin crew

The cabin crew are there to keep you safe but also calm. Let them know you’re a nervous flyer when you board the plane and don’t be afraid to ask questions if you’re worried about anything that’s happening. It’s also important to remember that despite any noises or bumps, there is nothing wrong unless you are told otherwise.

8- Occupy Yourself With Something You Enjoy

Many anxious fliers manage their fear by gripping the seats, studying the flight attendants or analyzing every last bit of turbulence, Farchione says. But in doing so, “they’re actually contributing to the fear. Their actions are inadvertently telling them that the situation is dangerous, when in fact it’s not.”

Instead, do whatever it takes to occupy yourself. Read a magazine, watch television, listen to music or talk to a travel companion. It may also help to practice deep breathing techniques and consciously release muscle tension. “Even just putting a smile on your face can change the emotional reaction,” Farchione says.

9- See a professional

The above strategies may work for someone with a non-clinical fear of flying or mild aviophobia, but severe phobias often require professional treatment. Exposure therapy — a process of growing acclimated to and eventually accepting the source of fear — is often used to treat phobias, but that’s difficult to arrange for most people with aviophobia. Farchione says treatment for the condition is increasingly moving toward helping patients reframe their fear response, and adds that virtual reality flight simulators may help as well.