In brief
- It’s important to spend time relaxing after a stressful flight
- Avoid making big choices or bold statements until you’ve had a chance to process the experience
- Always do a post-flight check-in with yourself
Restoring calm after a bumpy flight
A stressful flight doesn’t always end when the plane lands. Even when you’re safely on the ground, your body and mind may still feel unsettled. You might find it hard to relax and sleep, or continue to run the flight over in your mind.
These lingering signs often reflect emotional exhaustion. You may simply feel that you’re still “on edge”.
While a stressful flight can make its mark, it shouldn’t define how you think and feel about air travel, or impact your future plans. Here are some strategies to help you relax and recover after a tough flight.
Understand and accept the emotional impact
During a difficult flight, your nervous system stays in a heightened state. You’ll find your body releasing stress hormones designed to keep you alert and safe.
When the journey ends, that system doesn’t switch off instantly. It takes time for the body to recognise that the threat has passed. You need to allow and support the body to do its work.
In the hours after a stressful flight, it can help to slow things down. Jumping straight into busy schedules or emotionally demanding situations can increase anxiety.
Simple things like a warm drink, a shower, fresh air, or rest can calm down the nervous system and help you on the road to recovery.
Try to stay out of your own movie
It’s also common to replay moments from the flight in your mind, especially those that felt frightening or out of control.
This can feel like processing, helping your mind to deal with the stressful situation. However, repeated mental replays can keep you in a state of anxiety.
If you notice your thoughts looping (or entering into your own movie), gently remind yourself that the flight is over and you are safe now.
Gently shifting your attention to something neutral or grounding can help interrupt the cycle.
Don’t judge yourself too harshly
After a stressful flight, people often judge themselves harshly – too harshly.
Thoughts like “I can’t cope with flying” or “I’ve gone backwards” can appear. But these negative thoughts shouldn’t define who you are or demean what you have achieved.
Anxiety changes, depending on stress, health, fatigue, and life circumstances. What happened after one flight reflects how your system felt at that moment. The way you feel after a stressful flight isn’t how you will feel forever.
It’s good to talk (but don’t fixate on a bad flight)
Talking about the flight can also be helpful, but only with the right people and in the right context.
It’s true that being listened to without judgement or minimisation can ease emotional tension.
It’s important to say that you don’t need advice, reassurance, or solutions. You just need the chance to talk.
Feel free to share what you like. But try to avoid continually relaying the story of your stressful flight. This could accentuate your fears, making any nervousness or fear of flying worse.
Do a post-flight check-in
If you fly regularly, you can develop a routine to help you cope with all flights (good and bad). A post-flight mental check-in can include:
- Reminding yourself that the flight is over and you are safe
- Allowing your body time to rest and decompress
- Limiting replaying or analysing the experience
- Postponing decisions about future flights
The last point is really important. It’s wise to avoid making big decisions about future travel immediately after a stressful flight.
As your nervous system settles down, you’ll probably feel differently about a stressful flight. Don’t cancel plans or make any decisions you may come to regret.
We hope you’ll fly again…
Recovering from a stressful flight doesn’t mean forgetting what happened or pretending it wasn’t hard.
It’s about experiencing the flight – including the good and the bad – and refusing to let it define you. The intensity of your feelings should fade over time and the confidence you had to get on the plane often returns quietly. This should happen automatically as your body recognises the fear has gone.
The truth is that you came through a stressful experience successfully. However you felt then, focus on how you feel now and don’t let it define how you feel about flying again in the future.
Please share this article with anyone who might benefit from it.
FAQs
After a stressful flight it’s important to take the time to unwind and relax, restoring some calmness and composure. Whether it’s a bath, an early night or a glass of something, find to relax before rationalising what happened. You should talk about the experience, but try not to fixate or exaggerate. A fear of flying diary can help you keep track of your feelings and ensure that fear doesn’t take over and drive your decision making.
It’s a common response but not a realistic one. Instead of making rash decisions, take some time to understand what happened and why before making any decisions. Read our article on how to make an informed decision on whether to fly again.