Having a fear of flying is very real, even in todays modern society where people take a vacation, or workation, and end up flying around the world numerous times a year – the question is how to stop it?

As I travel to places like Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and Central America, I’d be telling you a lie if I said I never got nervous during a time of extreme turbulence on the plane.

So what do I do to cope with this fear and continue traveling?

Take a look at the tips I listed below that I use frequently when preparing for a vacation backpacking around the world! 

Stop Your Fear of Flying | Take a Vacation

1.) Listen to some Music –

There’s nothing better to soothe yourself out in a stressful situation than to actually take yourself out of that situation.  Listening to your ipod is just one way that you can do this.  Before you leave the house, turn on your computer and start uploading your favorite songs to your ipod. 

You may even want to look up something more soothing such as Enya or a Nature soundtrack that way, once you’ve boarded the plane, just pop in your headphones and close your eyes to release your emotions and get lost in your imagination.

2.) Read a Book, eBook, or Kindle –

Whether you are interested in novels, short stories or magazines, perhaps takings some kind of reading material with you would be a good idea if you’ve never flown before.  I’ve seen it numerous times while flying from place to place and quite frankly I would say that at least 1/3 to 1/2 of the people on a plane actually spend their time in the air reading. 

It’s never really been my cup of tea as I like to write, but during my first couple of times flying from place to place I would usually have a few magazines stowed away in my carry on bag; especially for those 5-6 hour or more flights.

3.) Play on your Laptop –

Are you one of the people who carry a laptop with you when you travel?  If this is the case, you can lose those first time flight jitters by doing a number of things!  I personally carry my laptop with me so that I have the opportunity to write more on my blog, it is my job after all; but don’t make this the only reason that you have it with you. 

With a laptop, you can carry movie making software to put together a homemade video, start that novel you’ve always wanted to write, pop in a couple of movies, or simply edit photos.

4.) Play a Game –

This can go hand in hand with your laptop and the only reason that I wrote this particular section separately is because with all the new portable gaming software out there nowadays there is nearly an unlimited amount of games that you can carry with you. 

Lose yourself and your jitters to the electronic world that you’ve created.  Finish the Zelda game, play Mario Brothers, or even Donkey Kong!  Gaming is always a good way to go!

5.) Order a drink –

Personally one of my favorite methods of soothing your fear of flying is by cutting the edge off of it.  What better way to do this than by ordering a beer, glass of wine, or rum and coke?  If anything, doing so will take the edge off just long enough to help you pass out while your heading to your next destination!  

Taking your flight in the morning hours?  Well, it’s got to be 5 o’clock somewhere.

6.) Talk with your fellow travelers –

People don’t socialize the way they used to in previous years so why don’t you break that habit, lose your jitters and get to make some interesting connections by talking to your fellow flight members?  I’ve met some very interesting people while flying from place to place and have had some genuine conversations. 

You learn lots because when you are flying, there’s no telling where your neighbor may be coming from and are going.  I’ve gotten so caught up in a conversation before that I just plum forgot that I was flying!  Try it out; it works!

7.) Meditate –

Are you even slightly into yoga and/or meditation?  No?  Who cares!  Meditation is basically a form of losing yourself to find your inner being and what better time to lose yourself than while flying? 

The art of meditating is very simple: just get relaxed…or as relaxed as you can in the cramped seating arrangements of your Spirit Airlines chairs put your head back, close your eyes and clear your mind.  One of two things will happen: either you’ll begin to meditate or you’ll fall asleep.  Either way you would have forgotten about your fear of flying.

There’s nothing to be afraid of when you are flying from place to place.  It’s been proven that flying is one of the safest forms of transportation out there and not only that..it’s faster!

So the next time you make your way down to the airport, remember to keep these few key things in mind to get rid of those flying jitters.  It’s all about keeping your mind preoccupied while your taking off.  If you can do this, then consider yourself a member of the millions of people who enjoy flying every year!  

What do you do to stop your fear of flying when going on a vacation around the world?