Photo Credit: Suhyeon Choi via www.unsplash.com

Do you love to travel but worry about the physical impact of flying? Maybe you’re keen to plan your next international adventure but you get anxious about stepping on a plane? In this article, we’ll take a holistic look at how to stay well when you’re flying, both physically and mentally, and provide you with tips on everything from deep breathing techniques to meal planning.

Staying calm and mindful

There are lots of resources and studies into aerophobia – the fear of flying – although fewer reliable statistics. Various studios estimate that anything from 10% to 40% of people in the UK may experience some form of fear or anxiety when it comes to flying, so if you struggle to get on board then you can be comforted at least by the fact that you’re not alone.

What can you do then to stay calm both before a flight and once you’re in the air? This article has some really useful and practical tips to help you keep calm when flying, and we especially like the practical suggestions the piece offers, including booking a seat that’s on the wing for reduced turbulence, letting the flight attendant know about your fear so that they can help you and wearing a rubber band around your wrist to snap during the flight when you need grounding.

For maximum impact, it’s all about planning, breathwork and distraction:

• Arrive at the airport early, but not too early. You don’t want to add to your anxiety by having to rush, but overcompensating and ending up with hours to kill could make your anxiety worse.
• Don’t forget to breathe! Slow, steady breaths, in through, and out of your nose work best. If you need more of a focus, imagine breathing into corners of a square – breathe into one corner, out into the next, into the next etc in a clockwise direction.
• Plan some distractions. It’s hard to concentrate on reading when you’re stressed, so an audiobook or podcast might be better. Choose something you’ve listened to already or a slow-paced story, ideally with a presenter or narrator with a soothing voice.

Stretching and exercising

Staying in one position for too long is never good for you, but it’s especially important on international flights to make sure you keep moving and take the time to regularly stretch your legs. Sitting down for long periods of time on a flight can put you more at risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) – where poor circulation causes blood clots to form.

One simple way to stay on top of this is to get up and walk around the cabin every so often, to keep things moving. We do appreciate though that this isn’t always possible – maybe you find yourself in the window seat with a large man snoring between you and the gangway, or perhaps you feel too embarrassed at the prospect of having to ask people to move. (Top tip: try to get an aisle seat on longer flights so that you avoid this, although be prepared too for having to move for other people!)

There are things you can do to keep those muscles moving and stay as active as possible, even if you’re in your seat. Here are a couple of simple ideas:

• Ankle rotations: lift each foot off the ground in turn, and rotate your whole foot from the angle clockwise ten times and then back the other way. Try to stretch it out as much as possible and push each rotation slowly to full extension.
• Neck and shoulder stretches: tip your head down to get your chin, then back up and look to the ceiling. Go back to the centre and move your head to each side in turn. Hold it on each side to feel the stretch along the opposite side of your neck. Make semi-circles forward with your head, rotating from shoulder to shoulder.

Meal planning

Depending on how far you’re going, it might be worth planning your food and when you eat to try and sync to your new time zone. As tempting as it is to eat whatever food is put in front of you, it can make sense to save meals for later to fit with your destination and make the change in time difference more manageable.

Don’t go overboard on large meals either. Small, regular snacks are more easily digestible and less likely to leave you feeling sluggish or uncomfortable. Finally, and most importantly, stay hydrated. And no, red wine from the trolley doesn’t count as fluids – we’re talking plenty of water to promote good circulation and stave off headaches.

Finally, be gentle with yourself! Flying isn’t easy for a lot of people, so be kind and congratulate yourself when you finally do arrive on a job well done. Now it’s time to enjoy your holiday and try not to think about the flight home!