Anxious When Flying? Man Shares How He Overcomes Fears While on Plane

The statement "I'm afraid of flying" is usually swiftly followed by a chorus of voices telling you the many things that are more likely to kill you than flying. While this may not be very helpful, one more practical man has posted a series of videos that aim to help people deal with anxiety while traveling and especially when taking to the skies.

There were too few deaths that came from being a passenger on a plane in 2021 to calculate the odds of it killing you according to The National Safety Council, which said that heart disease is the biggest killer in the U.S with odds of one in six.

However, even with all the facts and figures, it's perfectly understandable that people have a negative reaction to the idea of flying tens of thousands of feet above the ground in a metal tube, and some never fly at all.

Peter Rupert, 26, a brand growth consultant from London, U.K., has created his YouTube travel series An Agoraphobic Abroad to offer tips to people who struggle with anxiety during various aspects of travel, and, not surprisingly, a fear of flying comes up a lot.

"I made the channel to show myself as I face my biggest fears through travel to overcome my anxiety and agoraphobia," he told Newsweek.

In one video also posted to Rupert's TikTok account that has received more than 1.5 million views, he documents how he copes with flying anxiety.

"I was on a plane heading to Greece with my girlfriend," Rupert told Newsweek. "Unfortunately, the plane had been delayed due to a technical fault. Traveling with agoraphobia and anxiety, and a general fear of flying can be extremely difficult and I would normally never put myself in this situation.

"I wanted to do it because the point of documenting my journey was to put myself in difficult situations, despite the fear—because I've found that avoiding these situations actually makes anxiety worse in the long run."

Most people with aerophobia will know that their fear is irrational, as all the statistics show the probability of dying in a plane crash is very low. However, it is not always possible to reason yourself out of anxiety.

It might not be the flying itself that causes the anxiety, but the fear of feeling anxious on the plane, thinking about flying, or maybe the fear of having a panic attack in front of other people and having nowhere to go.

Handling Anxiety

Rupert said he has been dealing with anxiety and its symptoms since he was 7 years old, but has found it has gotten worse with age.

"Just before the pandemic, it developed in to a severe panic disorder with agoraphobia," he told Newsweek. "I would have frequent, intense and terrifying panic attacks that would lead me to be in a constant state of fight or flight, making activities like flying on a plane impossible."

His situation became so extreme that he would often go to the emergency room because he thought something was seriously wrong with him. "I would spend most of my time between being in bed, an ambulance, and the waiting room of the emergency department at a hospital. I felt like I would never get better, and that there was not a lot of help for people like me."

Flying With Anxiety

In one video, Rupert documented his experience on a flight. "The hypervigilance makes me over-sensitive to EVERY small feeling, noise, sensation etc," the video explained. "At one point the camera shakes and Rupert appears shocked. "Here the engine changed, I felt a drop and immediately panicked, I almost shouted," he explained.

"I asked the flight attendant for more information about what was wrong with the plane, and he was very helpful and reassuring," Rupert told Newsweek.

"I then wanted to film the take-off, as this is an especially anxiety inducing part of the flight, as I feel trapped, with no way out, and my mind is focused on all of the worst case scenarios, as well as experiencing a flood of severe physical symptoms such as a racing heart, excessive sweating and a feeling of impending doom.

"One of the main reasons for filming this is to show myself that despite panicking, or having high anxiety, I can get through situations, and to also show others that if I can do it, then they can too."

Rupert recommends communicating your fear of flying to the attendants and people around you on the plane. "People are usually understanding and helpful and are used to people with a fear of flying, they can really help you feel calm and reassured," he said.

It's also important to remember that, to the airplane crew, this is just another day at the office. "I heard someone say this once and it helped me to reframe my experience of being on the plane, seeing it as an 'office' rather than a scary metal tube in the sky made a lot of sense and helped me feel more calm."

Most importantly, Rupert says don't give yourself the option to give up. "It's natural to want to turn around, or give up, but in the long run that will only reinforce the fear.

"Giving yourself the chance to face the fear is the best thing you can do and the only way to prove to yourself that you can do something. Remember, it's always worse in your head, and it's the anticipation that gets you."

Rupert points out that despite the video, he still has a long way to go. "It has been a long, painful, emotional and scary process, and I'm not completely there yet, but I have been able to improve and gain back parts of my life, through lifestyle changes, exposure therapy, and educating myself about anxiety disorders and how they work."

Users on TikTok were full of praise for Rupert.

"Well done facing your fear like this, wish you many happy flights ahead!" commented one user.

"I had this for years—my heart would be racing from the moment I stepped on. Noise canceling headphones with meditative music worked a treat," shared another user.

"I used to be scared of flying, now I'm a student pilot lmao," wrote one commenter.

Newsweek's "What Should I Do?" offers expert advice to readers. If you have a personal dilemma, let us know via life@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice on relationships, family, friends, money and work and your story could be featured on WSID at Newsweek.