{"id":9490,"date":"2023-12-16T21:22:38","date_gmt":"2023-12-16T14:22:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=9490"},"modified":"2023-12-16T21:22:38","modified_gmt":"2023-12-16T14:22:38","slug":"how-to-deal-with-turbulence-anxiety-for-easier-travel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=9490","title":{"rendered":"How To Deal with Turbulence Anxiety for Easier Travel"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p> <span class=\"drop-cap__first text-dropcap \">T<\/span>here are two kinds of air travelers: people who shrug at turbulence and continue their snacking unfazed, and people who picture the opening scenes of <em>Lost<\/em> at the slightest bump. I am very much the latter: turbulence anxiety is the bane of my travel existence.<\/p>\n<p>In fairness to all of us anxious flyers, our brains really go through it when turbulence strikes. \u201cWhat is occurring in the brain is a normal and protective release of chemicals triggered by a frightening event,\u201d explains Alyson Smith, MD, managing director of emotional health and well-being programs at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.delta.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.delta.com\/\">Delta Air Lines<\/a>. \u201cThese chemicals are doing their job by telling your body to prepare for danger\u2014your heart rate goes up, you might grasp the arm-rest, and your muscles get tense.\u201d If your brain has anxious tendencies to begin with, especially around flying, it might continue to release these fight-or-flight chemicals, making it more difficult to think rationally, she adds.<\/p>\n<div class=\"\">\n<hr\/>\n<div class=\"experts-in-article noskim py-[24px] px-[40px]\">\n<p>Experts In This Article<\/p>\n<ul class=\"!ml-[18px]\">\n<li> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/allie-malis-94169170\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/allie-malis-94169170\/\">Allie Malis<\/a>, flight attendant and representative for the Association of Professional Flight Attendants <\/li>\n<li> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.delta.com\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.delta.com\/\">Alyson Smith, MD<\/a>, managing director of emotional health and well-being programs at Delta Air Lines <\/li>\n<li> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jared-hodge-78a1178a\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jared-hodge-78a1178a\">Jared Hodge<\/a>, pilot for Delta Air Lines <\/li>\n<li> <a href=\"\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"\">Sigr\u00ed\u00f0ur Svavarsd\u00f3ttir<\/a>, flight attendant for Icelandic airline company PLAY <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<hr\/><\/div>\n<p>Understanding more about turbulence and what causes it may help you deal a bit better during a bumpy flight (read: less likely to spiral). Here\u2019s what you need to know, along with how to deal with your turbulence anxiety the next time you\u2019re in the air.<\/p>\n<h2>First of all, what is turbulence?<\/h2>\n<p>Basically, turbulence occurs when <a href=\"https:\/\/www.weather.gov\/source\/zhu\/ZHU_Training_Page\/turbulence_stuff\/turbulence\/turbulence.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.weather.gov\/source\/zhu\/ZHU_Training_Page\/turbulence_stuff\/turbulence\/turbulence.htm\">irregular air currents disrupt the path of the plane<\/a>. It\u2019s not that different from experiencing the effects of wind that creates waves when you\u2019re on a boat, explains <a href=\"https:\/\/www.delta.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.delta.com\/\">Delta Air Lines<\/a> pilot Jared Hodges. It\u2019s common for the takeoff and descent to be turbulent, as well as briefly flying through the wake of another plane.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;Turbulence is a common event while flying and is rarely associated with any real danger or risk.&#8221; \u2014Alyson Smith, MD, managing director of emotional health and well-being programs at Delta Air Lines<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Turbulence also depends on the weather. \u201cDuring the summer season, heat thermals can impact why it\u2019s so turbulent during takeoff and landing. When the ground is heated by the sun, warm air begins to rise and creates pockets of rising warm air,\u201d says Hodges. Those pockets of warm air often create turbulence, especially if there\u2019s a thunderstorm somewhere near the flight path, until the plane rises to a higher altitude. The same goes for the winter months: Cold, low-pressure air can create extra wind and therefore more turbulence in planes flying through that air, according to Hodges.<\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content \" style=\"\" data-module-init=\"related-content\" data-module-immediate=\"\" v-cloak=\"\">\n<div class=\"related-content__wrapper \" v-cloak=\"\" :class=\"{'is-loaded':isLoaded}\">\n<p> <span class=\"inline pr-6 text-seafoam-dark\">Related Stories<\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <related-content class=\"related-content__links\" parent-article-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/how-to-deal-with-turbulence-anxiety\/\" current-title=\"How To Deal With Turbulence Anxiety so Your Next Flight Is Less (Emotionally) Bumpy\" current-image=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/GettyImages-how-to-deal-with-turbulence-anxiety-OleskiiKaramanov-425x285_418x278_true_70.webp\" v-on:parsely-posts-loaded=\"onPostsLoaded\" start-date=\"2023-06-16\" tag=\"div\" inline-template=\"\" url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/how-to-deal-with-turbulence-anxiety\/\" secret=\"w5ztterVB03LGZJLfXS0hf3EvQBuFFIWew9hmVQxthU\" apikey=\"wellandgood.com\" limit=\"3\"> <\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"related-content__card mb-[10px] sm:mb-[20px]\" :class=\"{'related-content__card--full':posts.length === 1}\" v-for=\"(post, key) in posts\"> <a v-on:click.prevent=\"trackLinkGA($event, key)\" :href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/how-to-deal-with-turbulence-anxiety\/post.url\" data-url-source=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content__link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content__card--image bg-tan\" :style=\"{ backgroundImage: 'url(' + post.image_url + ')' }\"> <img :src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/how-to-deal-with-turbulence-anxiety\/post.image_url\" :alt=\"post.title\"\/> <\/div>\n<p> <\/a>  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/related-content> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>You could experience a more turbulent flight if you\u2019re going to be flying over mountainous terrain, says Hodges. (Heads up if you have a cross-country flight coming up: You\u2019re going to hit some bumps around the Rocky Mountains.) Most of the time, pilots have plenty of notice to help them avoid areas of turbulence, but there are times in which the plane unexpectedly hits rough air and there\u2019s nothing the pilot can do but go through it.<\/p>\n<h2>Can something bad actually happen when the flight gets turbulent?<\/h2>\n<p>It can be super anxiety-producing when the plane starts to shake and rattle, and it\u2019s normal to think the worst. \u201cHowever, turbulence is a common event while flying and is rarely associated with any real danger or risk,\u201d assures Dr. Smith. (According to NPR, it\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2023\/03\/05\/1161196591\/turbulence-airplanes-injuries-death-safety\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2023\/03\/05\/1161196591\/turbulence-airplanes-injuries-death-safety\">\u201calmost unheard of\u201d<\/a> for turbulence to cause a plane crash.)<\/p>\n<p>To ensure as smooth of a flight as possible, pilots use a tool that predicts any weather events or turbulence along the way and try to climb to a higher or lower altitude to avoid turbulence as best as they can, explains Hodges. But that doesn\u2019t mean that\u2019s a sign of the plane going down or crashing.<\/p>\n<p>That said, people <em>can<\/em> be injured during turbulence if they\u2019re not sitting in their seat (all that bumpiness can make people fall). This is why pilots ask passengers to return to their seats during rough patches. Thankfully, these injuries are rare: Per the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), <a href=\"https:\/\/www.faa.gov\/newsroom\/turbulence\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.faa.gov\/newsroom\/turbulence\">34 passengers and 129 crew members were reported seriously injured<\/a> due to turbulence from 2009 to 2022. Considering that there were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bts.gov\/newsroom\/full-year-2022-us-airline-traffic-data#:\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.bts.gov\/newsroom\/full-year-2022-us-airline-traffic-data#:\">853 million airline passengers in 2022 alone<\/a>, your odds are pretty good that you won\u2019t be injured due to turbulence.<\/p>\n<h2>How to deal with turbulence anxiety on your next trip<\/h2>\n<p>However, just because you <em>know <\/em>something bad likely won\u2019t happen doesn\u2019t mean that your anxiety will get the memo\u2014particularly when your trigger is something as objectively unpleasant as turbulence. Try these tips to help you cope with turbulence anxiety next time you\u2019re on a plane.<\/p>\n<h3>Sit near the wing (or up front)<\/h3>\n<p>Where you book your seat might have an impact on the level of turbulence you feel. \u201cWhile turbulence can occur throughout the aircraft, some passengers find that sitting over the wings or towards the front of the aircraft may result in a smoother ride,\u201d says Sigr\u00ed\u00f0ur Svavarsd\u00f3ttir, flight attendant at the Icelandic airline <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flyplay.com\/en?gad_source=1&amp;gclid=CjwKCAiAg9urBhB_EiwAgw88mbJXLNB7isXKVLy0WO9VjrHfdYAgjRsmurl5YG6Ek9FEDBwfvp2DjRoCXpkQAvD_BwE&amp;origin=SWF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.flyplay.com\/en?gad_source=1&amp;gclid=CjwKCAiAg9urBhB_EiwAgw88mbJXLNB7isXKVLy0WO9VjrHfdYAgjRsmurl5YG6Ek9FEDBwfvp2DjRoCXpkQAvD_BwE&amp;origin=SWF\">PLAY<\/a>. This is not an absolute guarantee that you won\u2019t feel turbulence when it strikes, but a seat toward the middle (or up front, if you have lots of disposable income!) could make you more comfortable.<\/p>\n<h3>Fly at night or in the early morning, and open your window shades<\/h3>\n<p>The timing of your flight could have an impact on your level of turbulence anxiety, too. There tends to be less turbulence in the early mornings or overnight, Dr. Smith. This is because there\u2019s less thermal activity affecting the air, since the sun is not as strong during those times of the day. Yes, believe it or not, it\u2019s one good reason to take those red eyes.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re flying at night and have the window seat, keep your shade open. \u201cLooking outside can help you deal with turbulence, because when it\u2019s dark you don\u2019t have a sense of direction, which can cause more anxiety,\u201d says Hodges.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Do a calming meditation pre-takeoff<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>To help ground yourself before the flight even takes off, do a visualization exercise. You can get creative when picturing something calming. It could be as simple as envisioning the plane landing safely at the end of the flight, Dr. Smith says. \u201cOr perhaps that you are a kid on a trampoline, or on a boat in the ocean instead of on a plane in the air,\u201d she adds. Do some deep breathing, counting your breaths as you go, and put on some calming music in your earbuds.<\/p>\n<h3>Don\u2019t hit the bar cart too hard<\/h3>\n<p>You might think a little airplane bottle of your go-to liquor will help take the edge off. \u201cContrary to popular belief, people still feel anxious when they consume alcohol, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/alcohol-anxiety\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/alcohol-anxiety\/\">sometimes alcohol makes anxiety worse<\/a>,\u201d says Dr. Smith.<\/p>\n<p>The same goes for coffee. Having <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/how-to-counteract-caffeine\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/how-to-counteract-caffeine\/\">too much caffeine<\/a>, no matter what time of day you\u2019re flying, could make you more jittery on the flight. Svavarsd\u00f3ttir recommends staying as hydrated as possible instead so you feel your best (just not so hydrated that you have to pee every ten minutes though, because the turbulence is not going to be any more comfortable from the restroom).<\/p>\n<h3>Don\u2019t experiment with new meds, either<\/h3>\n<p>If you\u2019ve never tried certain medications that claim to \u201crelax\u201d you, doing so while flying isn\u2019t the best idea. \u201cFlight attendants do not suggest experimenting with new anxiety medications or sleep aids for the first time on an airplane,\u201d says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/allie-malis-94169170\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/allie-malis-94169170\/\">Allie Malis<\/a>, flight attendant and representative for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apfa.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.apfa.org\/\">Association of Professional Flight Attendants<\/a>. Try traveling with an emotional support person who can help you talk through your anxiety instead, she suggests.<\/p>\n<p>You also can speak to flight attendants any time throughout the flight. \u201cPassengers might find comfort in informing the cabin crew of their anxiety, as we are trained to provide support,\u201d explains Svavarsd\u00f3ttir.<\/p>\n<h3>Stay grounded by checking the facts<\/h3>\n<p>As easy as it is to get wrapped up in worst case scenario thinking, try to stop your brain from those thoughts. \u201cLearn to avoid <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/how-stop-catastrophic-thinking\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/how-stop-catastrophic-thinking\/\">catastrophizing<\/a>,\u201d says Dr. Smith\u2014a thought pattern common with anxiety where your mind fixates on the worst possible outcome and replays it over and over. \u201cThat usually means focusing on what you know is real instead of what might happen, or focusing on what is in your control, like your seatbelt staying buckled and your breathing remaining calm,\u201d she suggests. (Check out some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/anxiety-traps\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/anxiety-traps\/\">more techniques for escaping catastrophic thinking<\/a> and other anxiety mind traps.)<\/p>\n<h3>Reassure yourself after the flight<\/h3>\n<p>It\u2019s not uncommon for flight anxiety to continue after you land. If that\u2019s you, give yourself time to relax and unwind\u2014try to do something that brings you comfort after each flight, suggests Svavarsd\u00f3ttir. That could be grabbing your favorite airport snack, blasting your favorite playlist when you get to your destination, or taking a walk in the fresh air after exiting the airport. To desensitize yourself to the anxiety of the flying experience, Svavarsd\u00f3ttir also recommends reflecting on the success of the flight, whether it\u2019s that you safely landed, or that you were able to calm yourself mentally throughout. That way, you can use your prior experiences of safe flights to check the facts next time you\u2019re in the air.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are two kinds of air travelers: people who shrug at turbulence and continue their snacking unfazed, and people who picture the opening scenes of Lost at the slightest bump. I am very much the latter: turbulence anxiety is the bane of my travel existence. In fairness to all of us anxious flyers, our brains &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":9491,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9490","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9490","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9490"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9490\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9491"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9490"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9490"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9490"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}