I’m so excited that after 2 years of not leaving the country because of the pandemic, I’m flying with my youngest daughter and 2 eldest grandchildren tomorrow, to go to Disneyland Paris for a few days.
I had spent 30+ years travelling overseas for my work pre-Covid doing both long haul and short haul trips, and I have realized that every trip I have ever taken gives me that buzz of excitement. I’ve got all my documents ready a week ago and I’ve been washing and ironing more over the last couple of days than almost the last 2 years. Haha we are all four sharing a suitcase so I will have to make sure that I limit what I take ….!
I do know however that travelling for some people does cause problems. Fear of flying (aviophobia or aerophobia) is one of the most common phobias.
According to the Fear of Flying Statistics;
- Between 33% and 40% of all people experience some form of anxiety when it comes to flying
- 60% of sufferers experience generalized anxiety during the flight (and leading up to it) that they can easily manage on their own
- Between 2.5% and 5% of the population have crippling anxiety, a genuine fear of flying that is classified as a clinical phobia
Despite flying being proven to be one of the safest ways to travel, fear still affects much of the population. This fear can interfere with daily life and hold people back.
And it’s not just whilst on a plane that anxiety can set in. If you’re afraid of flying, anything from booking a holiday, arriving at an airport or even thinking about getting on a plane can trigger feelings of anxiety.
And in fact, there are many aspects of flying that can lead to feelings of anxiety and can be worsened if you have certain other phobias and anxiety disorders such as;
- Claustrophobia – because of the confined quarters and lack of person space
- Fear of heights (acrophobia)
- Social or germ phobia – those with social anxiety disorder or a fear of germs can develop a fear of flying because they will be forced to spend long periods of time with strangers
How can hypnotherapy help for fear of flying?
Our phobias exist in our subconscious, and our minds will create feelings of anxiety when it believes we are in danger and therefore we learn fear responses to our phobias. And every time that we are going to fly, we will go into our flight, fight, freeze state – as a conditioned and learned response.
Hypnotherapy and NLP techniques can disrupt or overwrite fears – in this case fear of flying. And it aims to change thoughts and behaviours associated with flying, empowering you to take control and making it a more positive experience.
Through the power of suggestion and relaxation techniques, hypnotherapy can help you to become more relaxed, calmer and helps you to feel safe and in control of your fears.
Book our initial consultation to learn how Jo Fisher Hypnotherapy can help with your fear of flying or ring 07904 500307