Do you have a fear of flying? Does it put you off going on holiday?
Your palms are sweaty, your breathing is shallow, your stomach may be churning, you’re in a blind panic thinking about everything that could go wrong and you’re looking for a way out…but there is no-where to go…and you’re stuck here for the next however many hours. It’s just you and your fear now.
Does this sound something like you, when you’re on a plane?
When most people think of travel we think in terms of being able to experience some of the most positive and memorable moments of our lives; we can explore exotic places, mingle with diverse cultures, soak up the sun, challenge ourselves in extreme climates…travel is an education in life and culture.
However, if you have an anxiety, fear or phobia of flying you’ll probably see it entirely differently because, for you, the trauma of reaching your destination often far outweighs anything you could experience whilst you are there.
To understand how fears and phobias develop, and how to cure them, it is vital to understand how your mind works.
To understand how fears and phobias develop, and how to cure them, it is vital to understand how your mind works.
Just for a moment, imagine your mind as being like a big corporation where the conscious part of you is the boss. As the boss you decide the direction the company will take, but you leave it to the staff to do the actual work. Your staff is made up of various parts of your subconscious - some highly skilled and innovative (the rational,intellectual mind) and some that are hate change and can be difficult to manage change do certain tasks brilliantly (the primitive mind).
As with many big organisations you have a health and safety officer too, which in the human mind is the amygdala (the flight/fight/depression area of the brain). As we all know, a good health and safety officer ensures a safe and enjoyable working environment, but a jobs worth can turn a pleasant place into one full of presumed life threatening obstacles, where danger lurks around every corner and no activity is safe!
That is exactly what is happening when you develop a fear of flying - you have a jobs worth health and safety officer amygdala, who is making it impossible to get anything down because they are so convinced of the terrible things that are about to happen.
If you are looking to get free from your fears you can find books, apps, courses and therapists (not just hypnotherapists!) to help you. You do not have to endure the stress of flying any more; there are books, apps, courses, therapies that can help you
Hypnotherapy is known as one of the best and fastest cures for phobias and hypnotherapists across the world have helped many thousands of people break free of their fears so they can enjoy not just what they can do but what they want to do.
Isn't it time you put that jobs-worth amygdala back in its place?
When your fear is a nuisance rather than a hindranceFear works on a sliding scale and not everyone’s fears are so debilitating. If you suffer mild discomfort (not a fully phobic response); perhaps anxiety where you would consider taking an over the counter mild sedative, or feel like you ‘need a couple of drinks’to calm your nerves, you might like to try these simple techniques to make your journey more comfortable.
Ratio breathing:
Sit with your eyes either open or closed, hands resting in your lap, legs uncrossed, back comfortable. You can do this anywhere and any time you need to just take your anxiety down a level and get back into a fully rational state.Breathe in for a count of 4 (try breathing into your stomach and keeping your chest and shoulders relaxed), hold for a count of 3 and then breathe out for a count of 7. You can breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth if this is comfortable for you.
Ratio breathing allows you to focus inwardly and among many positive results, reduces heart rate, pulse rate and triggers the relaxation response (which involves lots of fantastic relaxation chemicals being released into the body).
Visualising a positive flight:
This takes a bit of preparation and is a slightly more advanced technique, but you can master it with even just a little practice.
This is best done quietly a few days beforehand when you have time to think and create your perfect flight experience. Take a few minutes to quieten your mind(ratio breathing can be very helpful), sit comfortably, legs and arms relaxed,back comfortable. Close your eyes and begin to imagine your flight day as ‘the perfect day’.
Imagine you’re telling someone else about it from the moment you wake until the moment you sleep with the flight somewhere in the middle. When you phrase the thoughts phrase them positively. For example, rather than saying ‘I wouldn't be nervous’ say ‘I would be relaxed’,or ‘I would becalm/happy/chatting to my husband’- what ever you think you’d be doing instead of being anxious.
When you have created it once in your mind you can repeat it exactly, or adjust until you are completely pleased with it. Take only a few minutes each day doing this.
This works because the mind always rehearses actions before doing them, its just that we are usually not in control of the process! Once it has been rehearsed, the mind ‘buys into’ the scenario much more easily, particularly with repetition. Athletes use this to increase performance, sales people rehearse client meetings and hypnotherapy clients use this to create specific, tangible and positive outcomes for themselves.
Enjoy both these techniques, whether you use them for flying or even just to get into relaxation mode on the beach!
About Ali
Ali Hollands runs an award winning hypnotherapy practice in Maidstone, Kent. She specialises in working with stress and anxiety, with many of her clients coming to her because they are struggling to maintain control and not coping or enjoying life. Two things separate Ali from other health professionals; the first is a simple 5 step process, designed to help clients get back on track and enjoying life in as little as 6 weeks.
www.inspiredtochange.biz
ali@inspiredtochange.biz
07957 573681 - call or text
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