Take Care In The Air

Many people get anxious at the thought of flying. Anxiety over flying affects millions of people world wide. There can be a variety of reasons that people get anxious and nervous every time they board an airplane. Fear of heights, enclosed spaces, lack of control and air sickness are some of the more common ones. There is an actual name for fear of flying known as aerophobia.

After experiencing several bad flights myself, I have come to have some flight anxiety as well. The excitement of going on a great trip keeps me going but doesn't alleviate my anxieties. On my last long flight to Greece I was fine for the majority of the flight but then the last couple of hours I began to experience nausea, a drop in blood pressure that left me limp and weak and I actually had to get sick in the little bags they provide. Blah... then I had to gather myself to get off the plane, wait for a couple of hours and board another plane for the reminder of my trip. This of course caused my poor husband some anxiety as well as now he was worried about how I would make it. We still had a fabulous trip to enjoy and then journey back home.  Every time something like this happens the next flight becomes a little more stressful.

Things I learned to do and bring with me to ease anxieties.

Have plenty of nausea medication in my carry on,  I found Gravol with Ginger worked the best for me. Not the regular gravol as I didn't like the drowsiness and out of control feeling it gave me but it may work for some who can tolerate this.

Carry something for bloating, cramps, etc.
Bring water, that you can sip frequently. I know they can give you some on the airplane but it's usually just a small glass.

Bring a few small snacks that you tolerate well, dried fruit, trail mix or bread sticks are good. The airplane food may not sit well with you so choose wisely if you are offered a meal.

Herbal tea is better than coffee on a long flight.

Have some good reading material that you're interested in to keep you occupied for awhile. Maybe a word search or cross word puzzle.  Watching a movie may help too.

These are just a few things that help me cope with the stresses of flying. I hope they help you too! If you have some great tips that have worked for you please leave a comment!


Ready for Take Off - Airplane Sticker