Which Coping Skills should you use to Calm Anxiety during Turbulence?

Is there anyone out there who doesn't freak out just a little when turbulence hits on an airplane? Probably, but they must have superpowers LOL. For the rest of us normal people, anxiety during turbulence is just part of the whole travel experience. I have found that the more times I travel, the better I am at coping with it, so to anyone reading this who is hesitant to fly, know that it does get better with exposure!

But the real question is, how do you cope with anxiety during turbulence? And that's what I'm going to answer in this post.

Make sure to Pin for later and read again before your next flight!

What is Turbulence?

First, let's talk about what turbulence actually is. Knowledge is power! When we're flying, turbulence refers to changes in airflow or pressure that lead to bouncing and jostling around in the plane. Air is like water in that it is fluid and objects glide through it. Since air is lighter than water, we feel the disruptions in the air more than we do in the water.

Turbulence happens for many reasons, changes in the weather, flying over mountains (change in the elevation below the plane), warm and cold air colliding, etc. And most of the time, the "drops" that we feel aren't very big at all, but because airplanes are so large (and our anxiety is so high!) it can feel like a lot more than just a few feet.

All this logical knowledge is great and all, but it often doesn't help when we're starting to panic and our emotion brain takes the driver's seat. We can't solve emotional problems with logic!

Coping Skills to Calm Anxiety during Turbulence

So how do we calm anxiety during turbulence when our emotion brain takes over? There are a few ways, and I recommend practicing and trying them all to find what works best for you.

Breathing Techniques

There are so many breathing techniques, but I find that lengthening my exhale, box breathing, and 4-7-8 diaphragmatic breathing work best for me. What's most important is that you are breathing into your belly and not breathing into your chest! Short, shallow chest breaths increase anxiety and are what we revert to when stressed. In a panicked moment, it helps to put a hand on your belly and a hand on your heart for some tactile feedback. Make sure only your belly hand is moving!

Distraction to Calm Anxiety during Turbulence

I immediately jump to this one for really bad turbulence. The trick to distraction is to use something that takes ALL of your attention. Here's what I use, but find what works best for you!

• Talk to my travel partner/a willing passenger (it helps to explain what you need and why)
• Jam out to my favorite songs
• A phone game like sudoku, 2048, or candy crush (my personal favorite games)
• Movie, tv show, or book you can get lost in

If you know that you struggle with turbulence, let your travel companions or the people around you know before takeoff. It really helps to have another brain to help you when yours is overtaken by anxiety!

Grounding Techniques

Because we have to stay safely buckled during turbulence, we can't fight through our anxiety with movement. But we can fight through with mindfulness! This is most helpful for mild turbulence.

I love worry stones, and I have a set that corresponds to different chakras. Keeping one or two with me is so helpful! Anytime I get overwhelmed, I can look at it, notice the colors, shape, weight, texture, temperature, etc. By absorbing myself fully in describing it, I can't really think about anything else going on.

If you don't like the feeling of stones, you could get a stress ball, something soft and fuzzy like a stuffed animal, a fidget spinner/cube, or anything else you find soothing. Remember to get wholly absorbed in describing it to yourself!

Affirmations/Positive Talk

I LOVE affirmations. I use to be a total skeptic, but once I actually tried them, I realized how powerful they are!

Here are some affirmations to calm anxiety during turbulence:

• This too shall pass
• I got this, I can handle anything
• I inhale calm and I exhale anxiety (useful to pair with breathing!)
• I am strong, I am brave
• I am safe and everything will be okay

The trick to affirmations is finding what lands for you (and you will feel it and know when it does!). Try different words and phrases telling yourself you are safe and see what works best for you!

Final Thoughts on which Coping Skills to use to Calm Anxiety during Turbulence

I hope these coping skills to calm anxiety during turbulence help you on your next flight! If you ever have any questions, please feel free to email me, leave a comment below, or DM me on Instagram.

If you want to learn more coping skills for travel anxiety, I created a guide with a detailed list of coping skills and relaxation ideas to use with the strategy, practice worksheets for your new skills, and bring along worksheets for some extra help when your brain gets overwhelmed.