How to Overcome a Fear of Flying

Years ago I had a terrible fear of flying. The thought of getting onto a plane actually made me nauseous. I had such a terrible fear of flying that I avoided it completely until I was 20 years old. When Christmas break arrived that fateful year I was offered a plane ticket to fly into New York City. My fear of flying was a major reason as to why I had never seen the city and I decided right there that it was time to end my phobia. Once I finally defeated my fear I realized that flying wasn't all that bad.

Like many other phobias a fear of flying isn't uncommon. Also like other fears this particular one can be beaten. Here are some tips so you or someone you know can overcome a fear of flying.

How To Overcome A Fear Of Flying Tip #1: Make your first flight a rather short one

No matter how confident you are in your ability to overcome your fear it is still important to give yourself a fighting chance. My first flight from Buffalo to JFK Airport was less than an hour long. The short trip kept me from freaking out too much because I knew that the end was relatively close. Just like with anything you must learn to crawl before you can learn to run. Nobody makes his first race a marathon, after all. A short flight will keep you from losing control while on the plane.

How To Overcome A Fear Of Flying Tip #2: Spend some time pre-flight imagining the flight going well

This might sound like some psychological nonsense but doing this will help you to remain calm while you're waiting to board the plane as well as when you're actually in the air. Truth be told most people have a fear of something such as flying because they imagine a dreadful event taking place such as the plane going down. Imagining the flight being smooth will keep those thoughts from flooding your brain.

How To Overcome A Fear Of Flying Tip #3: Be entertained on the flight