Are you setting yourself up for a successful and enjoyable flight?
There are a lot of problem behaviours that can lead to negative flying experiences, but you may also be failing to approach flying positively and therefore not setting yourself up for success.
I had 2 back to back conversations today on the same thing- positive or enjoyable travel behaviours, in the context of flying fears.
It doesn’t matter why you might be nervous about flying- and the list is pretty long- there seems to be a shared behaviour: the avoidance or withdrawal of positive or enjoyable travel behaviours. Often this is a subtle change that the nervous flyer doesn’t realise they’re slipping on, sometimes the nervous flyer reports being so anxious or having to focus so much on ‘keeping it together’ that they don’t have time to do anything else or consider preparing anything else, or for some nervous flyers they don’t realise that enjoyable activities are ever part of flying. But, if you think about it, you have far less chance of enjoying a flight if you aren’t actually *doing* anything enjoyable.
Don’t know what I mean? Well, that might be the problem.
A lot of people enjoy travelling, but not all of them actually enjoy the flying part. They might not fear flying, but don’t like it and endure it as the means to the end of the trip. I love travelling and I love flying. I try to get on a plane at any opportunity for holidays and for work (and am fortunate that a lot of my work involves me being in a flight simulator). No matter how often I fly, there are a few things that I do which I would call ‘positive’ or ‘enjoyable’ travel behaviours. Consider how many of these you do, or could do for your next trip, to improve your enjoyment of the flying component of your holiday:
1. I talk about holidays all the time. I make preliminary plans and revisit the plans and see what I might add or change. (Anxious flyers often avoid conversations about travel and exclude themselves from holiday arrangements, leaving it up to friends or family members)
2. I put the trip in my calendar as soon as I have a firm-ish plan of dates and add to it as I make extra plans within the trip. Often I’ll have a countdown in my calendar, on my phone, on my watch. (Anxious flyers often avoid thinking about any upcoming trips because it elicits apprehensive anxiety and worry)
3. I have matching luggage and travel accessories that I love, and a few sets, and I often buy more. (Anxious flyers often avoid any preparation for their travel, and find packing anxiety provoking)
4. I withdraw from some enjoyable activities ahead of the flight so that those things are extra enjoyable for on the flight- ie I save a new show or movie I want to watch for the flight, I make a special playlist or reduce how much I listen to my favourite music ahead of a flight. I save the most recent Runners’ World magazine for the flight. I might start a new book I’ve been holding off reading. (Anxious flyers may prepare activities to keep them ‘busy’ or distract themselves from flying or from their anxiety, but rarely are these activities they would find enjoyable)
5. I save other fun activities for the flight- I might do some writing, or create other playlists, or do some of the holiday planning.
6. I might buy a new comfy outfit to wear on the plane. (Some anxious flyers develop superstitions around what they do or don’t wear)
7. I pack my favourite snacks. Always some M&Ms.
8. I look after myself on the flight- I try to move around and get lots of water. I wash my face, I brush my teeth, I brush my hair. If it’s a long trip, I try to get some sleep- with my matching eyemask etc.
9. I reward myself for damn. near. anything. Often, a plane trip is my reward. However, if there was something I found challenging about it, or if I was taking a trip I didn’t want to go on, I’d buy myself an extra treat (probably a new running top!). When I travelled with my mum who hates turbulence, I fed her M&Ms during turbulence (sort of like when Sheldon tries to train Penny in Big Bang Theory!). (Anxious flyers often dismiss their achievements because they feel like they should be able to fly comfortably, so it doesn’t deserve celebrating. I disagree- everything is relative, and if flying is challenging for you, but you do it, your efforts should 100% be rewarded!)
What kinds of activities do you enjoy that you might be able to do on a flight? Do you, or anyone you know, LOVE flying? I’d love to know of other positive and enjoyable travel behaviours so I can suggest them to nervous flying clients in the future- please share your favourites with me!