In brief
- The key to de-stressing long-haul flights is to plan and prepare, ensuring you know how you’ll deal with every stage of the flight calmly and confidently
- Breaking long-haul flights into stages can help reduce anxiety
- Preparing breathing exercises and grounding exercises can give you confidence that you can restore calm when needed
Bigger distances, longer flights, lower anxiety
Long-haul flights can strike fear into those with flight anxiety, with the fear overwhelming. This is especially true of those with claustrophobia, but it can affect anyone with aviophobia.
If you’re planning a long-haul trip the key to keeping stress at manageable levels is preparation and planning. Packing the right entertainment, planning out each stage of the flight and preparing exercises to deal with peaks of anxiety can all help.
The good news is that many find their stress levels reduce on long haul flights. Why? Because the body simply can’t maintain that heightened state of anxiety for several hours.
In this guide we’re going to provide some practical information and advice on how you can manage long haul flights confidently and calmly.
Breaking your flight into stages
On paper, long-haul flights can seem like a huge investment of time – and a huge cause of anxiety. A powerful technique is to break down the flight into stages or chunks.
Instead of facing a full 8 hours, you’re working through the next hour. That’s psychologically easier to manage.
Here’s how a typical 8-hour transatlantic flight might break down:
- Boarding + pushback (0:00–0:30)
- Takeoff + Initial climb (0:30–0:50)
- Climb to cruise + First drink service (0:50–1:30)
- Main meal service (1:30–2:30)
- Quiet cruise (2:30–6:30)
- Mid-flight snack / Water run (6:30–7:00)
- Pre-arrival service (7:00–7:30)
- Descent + landing (7:30–7:50)
- Taxi + deplaning (7:50–8:00+)
The timings, stages and structure will depend on the length of your flight, but these are fairly standard for most long-haul flights.
You can sketch out a flight plan for yours and personalise it. Having this plan can reduce fear. Instead of worrying and waiting, you’ll know what’s happening and at what times. It’s also essential for developing your personal in-flight entertainment plan.
Preparing for the flight
You’ve got your flight plan in hand, now it’s time to work through the steps you can do to prepare for your long-haul flight. You don’t have to do all – or any – of these things, but we’ve found through experience that they work.
Pack an in-flight comfort kit
When you’re on a long-haul flight you’ll want to ensure the space is as comfortable as possible. Packing an in-flight comfort kit in advance will ensure you have everything you need to cope.
You can pack anything you like (within reason) but we recommend always including:
- Things that make you comfortable
- Healthy snacks and water
- Entertainment and things you enjoy
- Grounding tools
- Calm Flight Toolkit
Learn more about how to build a personalised in-flight comfort kit.
Creating an in-flight entertainment plan
You’ve hopefully prepared your flight breakdown, now you can start thinking about what to do during your time in the sky.
We like to pack a selection of entertainment, including films, books (or ebooks if space is tight), games and other forms of entertainment.
Planning your in-flight entertainment can make the experience more manageable. You’ll be taking control of the flight. It’ll also make endless hours in the sky go more quickly.
Most long-haul carriers will have entertainment systems in place, but they may not always work or have the shows and films you want to watch, so we always pack our own.
Learn some essential breathing exercises
If anxiety is part of the flying experience for you, then you’ll need to prepare. Breathing exercises are simple and effective ways to reduce anxiety when it spikes. This could be at boarding, during takeoff or turbulence – or whenever you find stress spiking.
The key is to have these techniques memorised and mastered before you fly. Not only will you know how to do them when you need them, you’ll know they work.
You can find details of breathing exercises in our Calm Flight Toolkit.
Stay calm in the air with grounding
Grounding exercises, like the familiar 5-4-3-2-1 technique, can bring you back to the moment in times of panic.
Like breathing exercises, you’ll want these memorised and mastered before your flight. They’re particularly effective at reducing anticipatory anxiety that can appear before your flight.
Both breathing and grounding exercises can be performed discreetly, without raising attention to yourself.
Track your route
Flying thousands of feet above the earth can leave us feeling disconnected. Tracing your route can be hugely powerful at connecting you with the earth below.
Many long-haul flights will have maps on board where you can do this. We’ve also provided a route map in the Calm Flight Toolkit where you can sketch out your own light path.
Why does this work? This can help remind you of two things: There’s a world below that you’ll soon be meeting again and that flying is a magical experience.
Focus on why you’re flying
You’re flying for a reason and it can be powerful to remind yourself of that. Whether it’s a once in a lifetime holiday, a reunion with a loved one, or a business trip that promises to boost your career, focus on why.
Writing positive affirmations on paper or in a notes app on your phone and checking them at times of anxiety can be hugely positive.
We could provide some examples, but writing them yourself makes it more personal, and powerful.
Build confidence by planning and preparing
Unless you’re lucky enough to be flying business class, long haul flights aren’t likely to be comfortable but they can be manageable – even for people with a fear of flying.
The key to successfully flying long-haul is to plan and prepare for every stage of the flight. This can give you the confidence you have the tools in place to tackle anxiety if and when it appears.
Learning how to cope with long haul flights means you won’t let previous negative experiences or bad flights ruin a life changing experience.
Please share this article with anyone who might benefit from it.
FAQs
The key to managing anxiety and de-stressing long-haul flights is thorough planning and preparation. This involves breaking the flight into smaller, manageable stages, creating an in-flight entertainment plan, and ensuring you have coping tools ready, such as memorised breathing and grounding exercises.
When packing an in-flight comfort kit, you should include things that make you comfortable, healthy snacks and water, entertainment you enjoy, and grounding tools. These items ensure you have everything needed to cope and make your space as comfortable as possible during the long journey.
Breaking a long-haul flight into distinct stages or chunks is a powerful technique because it makes the experience psychologically easier to manage. Instead of facing an intimidating total duration, you focus only on the next hour, and having a detailed flight plan reduces fear by helping you know what to expect and when.
