We asked the ITH Facebook community to give other passengers advice to calm their nerves during air travel. We got some great answers! Thank you to everybody who participated.

1. Listen to calming music (massage or meditation music)
2. Don’t conceal it. Tell the gate agent when you check in & the flight attendant when you board.. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about, and what you need is support, not added frustrations by suffering in silence. They are very helpful
   Distraction of music or a movie.
   Sit in front seems like the turbulence is less.
3. Music to distract the mind is helpful.
4. Listen to music and read. It works for me.
5. Flying out of Ithaca helps to keep the process smoother!
6. Dramamine
7. Noise cancelling headphones
8. Xanax!!! ?
9. Cocktails
10. Talk to a professional about your fear of flying, perhaps work through a book on anxiety for good measure
11. Lavender oil to calm the nerves. Also imagining the great trip you’re about to have ?
12. Read an interesting book. If visiting a foreign country, read a beginners book for learning the language. You will learn a few niceties, and in some countries, people really bend over backwards to show their appreciation… not for doing it perfectly, but for respecting them that much that you try to speak their language instead of blatantly expecting everyone to understand English. And not only may it distract you from your fears, it might make the trip a lot more enjoyable than it otherwise would be.
13. Try to sit next to someone you find attractive and tell them you need a hand to hold! ;)
14. Take some stress off of yourself by getting to the airport with plenty of contingency time. You never know when you might need it!
15. Have music in your ear and someone with you, that is how we got over flying when we went to myrtle beach for our honeymoon.
16. I used to be really afraid of landing, but now I like to listen to music to block out some of the sound and to distract me.
17. Have an alcoholic beverage! Or 3!
18. The Serenity Prayer that is commonly used by alcoholics and addicts in recovery. It might sound dumb, but it has helped me in all aspects of my life including calming my fears. I recommend it for anyone who carries any kind of weight on their shoulders.
19. Watch the pilots and flight attendants as they get on the plane or as they greet you. At ITH the cockpit door is often open during boarding. Look at these professionals — do they look nervous? Do they look like they are in great danger? Think — they flew to ITH from Detroit, Philadelphia or Newark — were they so scared that they refused to fly back? Then think of the training of the pilots, the millions of hours of engineering and testing and certification that went into manufacturing the aircraft. Ask yourself — air airline employees (mechanics, ground staff) afraid to fly in the aircraft they maintain and service?
20. Valerian can help a lot but take it closer to take off time visualize that you are protected and safe
21. I just think of what’s at the other end of the flight. In my case, I’m flying all the way to the Netherlands next year to see my boyfriend. So I’ll be thinking of him the whole way there, and I’ll be thinking of home the whole way back :)
22. Look for the helpers, as Mr. Rogers said. Befriend them and they will help you with your anxiety.
23. I think about the odds of airplane accidents vs. Car accidents or things of that nature. They almost never happen. Also, airports have bars.
24. I found that overcoming fear of flying is contingent on giving up trying to control the plane.Remember that you, the passenger, has zero responsibility for the outcome of the flight. All passengers have to do is get the plane and sit down. Whatever happens with the flight, will happen and you have no control over it.
25. Make sure you read all the restrictions and guidelines when it comes to TSA and your airline company. Makes the process a lot smoother easier and less stressful.
26. John McClane in Die Hard was told to make fists with his toes
    

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