Fear of Flying? Tips to Make Your End-of-Summer Travel Easier

It’s the end of summer. The suitcases are out, your out-of-office email is (hopefully) on, and you’re ready for one last adventure before fall arrives.

But there’s a catch: your stomach knots up just thinking about getting on the plane. Maybe you’ve been avoiding travel for years. Maybe you white-knuckle and hold your breath every takeoff. Or maybe this is your first time feeling uneasy about flying, and you’re wondering what’s wrong.

Fear of flying is incredibly common, and and it’s not a sign that there is anything wrong! The good news? Anxiety doesn’t have to run the show.

At Upstream Mental Health, we’re firm believers that you don’t need to wait until things get really bad to start tackling anxiety. And with the right tools, you can make your next flight less about fear and more about excitement for where you’re headed.

1. Give Your Nervous System a Pre-Flight Pep Talk (with Breathing)

When your brain senses danger, it’s quick to hit the panic button, even if the “danger” is just a patch of turbulence. Slow, intentional breathing can turn down that alarm.

Try the “box breathing” technique before you board and during the flight:

• Inhale through your nose for 4 counts

• Hold for 4 counts

• Exhale slowly through your mouth for 4 counts

• Hold for 4 counts

• Repeat 3-4 times or until your shoulders drop away from your ears

2. Use Your Imagination (For Good)

Your mind can be your biggest source of anxiety, OR it can be your best ally. One of my favorite tricks is closing my eyes mid-flight and imagining I’m somewhere else entirely - maybe I’m on a train moving along the ground, or curled up in my favorite reading spot at home.

Your brain doesn’t always distinguish between real and imagined safety. So if you picture yourself in a safe place, your body often gets the memo. You can also use a meditation app like Insight Timer before, during, or after your flight to relax your body and mind.

3. Pack Distractions You Actually Want to Use

Scrolling through the in-flight magazine or watching movies you’ve already seen sometimes just won’t cut it! Bring things that actually pull your attention in and make you lose track of time:

• An engaging novel or audiobook

• A playlist that feels like summer in music form

• A podcast you’ve been saving for this trip

• A crossword or puzzle app that makes you focus

When you’re immersed in something enjoyable, anxiety has less room to take up space. Be sure to download or pack everything you need before you take off, so you don’t have the stress of figuring out what to do in the moment.

4. Learn the (Actually Comforting) Facts

Here’s what most of us were never taught about flying, which is why we tend to assume the worst:

• Turbulence is normal - it’s like driving over a few bumps in the road.

• Airplanes are engineered to handle far more than they ever encounter in real life.

• Pilots and crews train extensively for rare scenarios, so you’re in incredibly skilled hands.

Sometimes, fear comes from mystery. The more you understand, the less power the “what ifs” tend to have. It’s also true that the “availability heuristic” makes us think that plane problems are more common than they really are.

One Last Thing Before You Board

You may not be able to eliminate flight anxiety entirely, and that’s okay. This isn’t about becoming fearless overnight - it’s about giving yourself the tools to feel calmer, more grounded, and in control. Fear of flying is common, but it doesn’t have to keep you from the places, people, and experiences you care about most.

And if anxiety — whether in the air or on the ground — has been holding you back, therapy can help. At Upstream Mental Health, we work with clients to create personalized strategies that make challenges feel lighter. Because life’s too short to stay stuck at the gate!