In January this year I wrote a post on 'Doing things that scare me' and in that post I spoke about facing my fear of flying, well ladies and gentlemen I DID IT!!! Yes you read that right Miss "I'm never getting on an airplane" got on one and flew to Corfu!.

It's not the concept of flying and it crashing that scares me, but the fact you are trapped high up in the sky with no way out! I get major anxiety over being in places where it's not easy for me to escape if I feel anxious, so going on an airplane and being stuck in my seat for 3 hours was a big step for me! I also have a phobia of vomit (Emetophobia) so was anxious about me being sick or others around me and there being no escape route!

But all in all, I did it and will now share with you some techniques I used to get through the longest 3 hours of my life on the way there!

1. Knowing exactly what will happen - I had no idea what you do when you get to the airport and the procedures on the airplane, so went on google and read up about what you need to do when you get to the airport and then what happens when your on the plane. This really helped me as I felt that I knew what was going to happen every step of the way so I could be prepared. Although I was still constantly asking my Mum if every noise the airplane made if it was normal!
So tip No.1 Be prepared

2. Get to the airport on time - People without anxiety would find it stressful if they arrived late, let alone someone with severe anxiety! So my next tip is to get to the airport in plenty of time so you can stay relaxed and check in at your own pace, making sure you haven't forgotten anything :)

3. Breathing techniques - Before even stepping foot on the plane I started doing these I was so anxious! My favourite breathing technique is called 'Square breathing' and I wrote about this in my 'Surviving panic attacks' post. It's very simple and all you have to do is breath in for your nose for 4 seconds then out through your mouth for 4 seconds. I learnt this during CBT and it works wonders to calm and regulate your breathing.

4. Music - Depending how anxious I am music can be my saviour! Whether it's a bit of Taylor Swift to keep me calm or my relaxation music, both can be a real help to calm you down. When I first got on the plane I was terrified and needed to calm myself first, so just put the headphones in to block out some of the noise, then as I slowly calmed I started the music to keep my mind off my anxiety.




5. Reading a book - I personally didn't do this as I was too anxious to concentrate, but reading a book and getting lost in the world of imagination can really help you to forget about where you are and the scary situation. I ended up reading lots on holiday when I felt anxious as it distracted me from my worries!

6. Think about the positives - Think about all the amazing things you are going to do on your holiday, or if your flying home the things you will be reunited with - your beloved bed! This worked on the flight out and the way back for me as I was listing all the things I wanted to do on my holiday and then thinking of the things and people I will be reunited with on my return :)

7. Give yourself some praise - I was constantly telling myself on the flight to Corfu "you can do this, you are ok, you ARE doing this" which helped calm and motivate me as I was desperate to overcome my fear of flying and venture out in to the world. On the way back, it was a lot easier as I knew what was happening and was so proud of myself that I actually got on the plane and went on holiday in the first place!

8. Lastly, this isn't really a tip but some motivation as I was the girl for many years who said she would never get on a plane and I did it! not going to lie it was terrifying at first but you just have to overcome it and belief in yourself :)


I hope I've inspired some of you to face your fears of flying, let me know if you have any additional tips for first time or nervous flyers, would love to hear them!

Here's a few pics from my trip!



PocketFullOfDaisys xx