Here I am, on an airplane, dealing with anxiety.
I do not like airplane travel. I get scared that the plane will crash. But since I’m on a plane anyhow, I thought this would be a good opportunity to write about how I deal with anxiety.
When I feel anxious I want to avoid whatever is making me anxious. But I know1 that avoidance will increase my anxiety and I don’t want to make it worse. I also know that coping with the anxiety—instead of avoiding it—ultimately will reduce my anxiety. Hence, I am on an airplane.
So here is what I do to deal with my anxiety.
In my body
- I do a lot of slow, deep breathing. I breathe in for a slow count of five and out for a slow count of five.
- I make sure I have enough to eat so I’m not hungry. Hunger can feel like anxiety.
- I reduce sensory overload. I wear noise-canceling headphones on the airplane so it’s not so loud. I turn off the video monitor if there is one (unless I am watching a movie). I got TSA Pre✓ to reduce the amount of time and hassle I have to spend waiting in security lines at the airport.
- I make myself as comfortable as possible. I wear comfortable clothing that keeps me feeling cool since I dislike feeling too warm. I wear sneakers or other comfortable shoes.
- I try to get enough sleep the night before so I am not overtired.
In my mind
- I accept and acknowledge that I feel anxious. I tell other people about my anxiety so I don’t get anxious that people will find out that I am anxious.
- I remind myself of why I am putting myself through the anxiety. I know someone who got so afraid of flying that she stopped going on airplanes altogether, even when that limited her life in significant ways. I do not want my life to be limited like that. I want to be able to travel.
- I did research about the safety of airplane travel (and turbulence) to get a realistic sense of how dangerous it is. I remind myself that it is safer than many things I do more frequently, such as riding in a car.
- I imagine that I am in a situation that makes me less anxious. I imagine that the plane is driving on bumpy pavement, for example.
- I pay attention to how unconcerned the flight attendants seem. I reason that if they are still serving beverages, everything is probably OK with the plane.
- I remind myself that anxiety is uncomfortable but it is just a feeling. It cannot hurt me. It will pass.
- I do whatever I can to reduce any other anxiety I might experience. For instance, I get anxious about being late, so I make sure I get to the airport early and I spend extra money so I can do that in the most painless way possible. I am anxious about being on the plane by myself, so I arrange to sit with my family (even when it means asking for seats to be changed).
- I distract myself. I bring engaging things to read. I watch movies that are light and funny.
- I use thought-stopping. When I start to imagine the plane crashing, I say to myself, “Stop. Think of something else.” And then I distract myself with something else.
- I go easy on myself as much as possible. I recognize that dealing with anxiety can be difficult and I try to keep self-criticism to a minimum.
These are the coping strategies I tend to use in any situation where I feel anxious. The more frequently I face my anxiety, the quicker the anxiety reduces. Since I do not go on airplanes often, that anxiety is harder to reduce.
In the meantime, I am anxious about airplane travel. And I am still on an airplane.
- Because I am a therapist and help clients with anxiety all the time! [↩]