Is Fear of Flying Grounding Your Chances of Success?
For many people, fear of flying is a problem, especially around the holidays. Some know the reason for their fears yet, others share that the fear seemed to come on over night even after years of flying without anxiety.
For many people, fear of flying is a problem, especially around the holidays. Some know the reason for their fears yet, others share that the fear seemed to come on over night even after years of flying without anxiety.
Over time, a fear of flying can restrict your career, social life and happiness. Work projects and family events may make flying necessary.
Even though 40 percent of passengers report fear of being involved in a plane crash, According to a 2015 report in The Economist, your chance of dying in one is roughly one in 5.4 million! By comparison, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the individual American driver’s odds of dying as a result of an injury sustained in an automobile crash (which include pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists involved in car crashes) come out to about 1 in 77 — making it one of the highest-probability causes of death tracked by the CDC.
By contrast, heart disease, the leading cause of death, kills 1 in 4 people, alcohol and drugs kill 1 in 34.
Unfortunately, rational statistics seldom make a difference for phobias. From a fear of public speaking to flying, our phobias are rarely rational.
Can You Conquer a Fear of Flying?
While it may seem impossible, you can enjoy a calm flight. I have helped many people recover from their flying phobias through hypnotherapy.
“Rebecca, I would like to thank you for everything. With as bad as I was not wanting to fly, with your Hypnosis I had no fear at all. Just like you said. It made it that I could have a wonderful time traveling and not the fear to hold me back. I would recommend you to anyone. Thank you for giving me that back. Plus Italy is awesome. Thanks again.
— — Robert Leonard, Project Superintendent, Mississippi
Sedatives may help but for many it is still extremely stressful during the days and hours leading up to taking the meds and getting on the flight. Furthermore, medication is masking the fear NOT resolving it.
Like any phobia, a fear of flying is rooted in your subconscious. You may have had a traumatic experience or watched a plane crash. Some of my clients discover that their fear of flying is rooted in a non-related incident that somehow gets connected to flying, for example, like a terrifying experience riding rollercoasters as a child. Most of the time my clients had no conscious awareness of the root cause of their fears and phobias but with hypnosis, they are able to quickly identify the root cause.
Whatever the cause, even if it is irrational, your subconscious mind has created the fear trying to protect you. It associates flying with danger. Thus, the fear is created to keep you away from flying.
How I Overcame My Fear of Flying
Personally, I used hypnosis to overcome a paralyzing fear of flying. My fear was triggered by one of the most prominent events in airline history. I was scheduled to be on American Airlines Flight #77 that crashed into the Pentagon on 9/11/2001.
American Airlines Flight 77 was a scheduled American Airlines domestic transcontinental passenger flight from Washington Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Virginia, to Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California. I would have been seven months pregnant with my son and traveling with one year old daughter.
Like many other people have reported after the 09/11 incident, I had a strong intuition that told me to not only change my flight but change the date AND the airport from which I was flying.
On the day of the tragedy, I believe I went into some kind of shock as the full realization came to me that I was scheduled to be on one of the downed planes. I was terrified to fly. When I did fly, I was paranoid about the passengers on the plane. I would break out into a sweat. My heart would race and I felt claustrophobic.
Using some of my own hypnosis techniques on myself, in less than a month, I was flying comfortably again. This is typically a three step process that I have used for years to help thousands of clients suffering from all types of fears and phobias.
Hypnosis Helps Overcome Fear of Flying
Hypnosis is a highly effective way to feel comfortable while flying. To conquer your fear, you must address it. Hypnosis helps you to identify and clear what triggers that fear in your subconscious. Hypnosis helps to re-message the mind so that you are no longer afraid. As a result, you can escape from the panic and fear associated with it.
Most of my clients are flying comfortably in one to two sessions! If you would like to get help overcoming a fear of phobia, reach out. Virtual sessions work perfectly for this problem. I can help you from the comfort of your own home or office.
Don't Let Fear of Failure Hold You Back!
One of my all time favorite commentaries on overcoming the fear of failure. A great video with Spanx founder Sara Blakely!
CEO of Spanx, Sara Blakely, Shares Her Thoughts on Failure.
So many of my coaching clients discuss their fear of failure. Some are immobilized to take desired action from fear. Others from perfectionism. When I watched Sara’s video for the first time, I was inspired that she grew up with such a positive mindset around failure. Mindset drives our behaviors, our reponses, everything! Watch and get inspired!
Gratitude: The Subtle Power Within.
Learn the secret behind daily gratitude.
This year, I bought something called “Pak-Its” that go inside the lunch sacks for my two children. Each “Pak-It” contains four compartments; one for a sandwich, and three others for snacks, fruit, chips, etc. Each day, I try to surprise my kids with a variety of fruit and snacks. I love to see their smiling faces and hear them express so much gratitude from something as mundane and simple as what’s in a lunchbox!
Why is it as we get older, many of us have a hard time appreciating the simple things in life? Perhaps, it’s because life becomes more complicated. Or is it something else?
Years ago, I remember I was really struggling with appreciating my life. At the time, I was living in a constant state of fear and anxiety around money. My husband had been out of work for almost a year. If he didn’t find a job soon, we were going to lose our home. Typical to someone who is in financial straits, I found myself ruminating constantly on thoughts like…”Where will we move if we lose the house? Could we bring our dog to an apartment? Could we find an apartment in the same school district? What furniture would we keep?”
The subconscious mind will obsess on unwanted outcomes. The perception is that if we worry, we can somehow avoid the negative consequences we fear. Or in the very least be prepared for the worst.
Seeking a positive focus, I joined a women’s empowerment group that met weekly. I will never forget the first meeting with these funny, spiritual women. Starved for inspiration and light, their energy instantly uplifted me. The hostess introduced me and then led the group in a standard opening activity which was called, “Gratitudes.” This meant that each woman in the group was asked to share at least one thing for which she was grateful that took place in the previous week. In this way, each woman got to share a piece of her life as we simultaneously engaged in co-creating positive energy.
If you’ve ever been through a time in your life when you feel like you are in survival mode and everything is a struggle, you might relate when I say, that for the longest time, I had a hard time thinking of a “gratitude.” My mind was locked into a non-stop chatter of anxious driven dialogue like, “My husband is out work. We are struggling financially. We may lose our home. The kids are arguing. I’m exhausted. What will we do?” And on and on….
Over the course of several weeks, something inside must have shifted though. A new habit of looking for the good must have been fostering a new perspective because something out of the ordinary happened the night before Thanksgiving. I indulged a few dollars and went out with friends to a local restaurant to hear live music. The band was energetic and fun! The loud music was a welcome infusion of positive energy!
Later on that evening, I walked down the hall to the back of the building towards the restrooms. Out of the abrupt silence. I heard a single sentence inside my head, “What you fear most will set you free.” I stopped in my tracks. What did that mean? It was my voice….but the way that the sentence was phrased was not how I would normally speak. It reminded me of something Obi-wan Kenobe would say to a student to whom he teaches the ways of the Jedi.
I laughed and asked myself, “What was my worst fear at that moment?” Losing our home? Yes. Well, what if we lost our home? What’s the worst that would happen? So, we move into an apartment. So what! A rush of energy and relief flowed through me. Me, my husband, my children… we are all healthy! Suddenly, I felt light and a feeling of immense gratitude for our safety and health flowed through me. I felt a deep inner calm that I hadn’t felt in a long time.
That was a turning point in my soul. The point when I was able to see the glass half full in life despite life’s struggles.
I continued to participate in the women’s group weekly for many years. Over time, my “gratitudes” became more plentiful. The simple things in life like a comfortable bed and bird singing outside my window bring me joy. This continues to occur despite times when life has been extremely stressful for me. Like when a huge family inheritance was lost. And especially, when my best friend and godmother to my two children died of brain cancer.
Gratitude is a lifeboat that keeps your spirit afloat even in difficult times.
You can’t inflate your “lifeboat” all at once though. You must breathe life into it daily to keep it inflated and uplifting you. It’s okay to start small. Maybe it’s just gratitude for a soft pillow and indoor plumbing.
A friend of mine named Ben is a retired CFO of a major corporation. In his retirement, he has turned to studying Peruvian shamanism and now practices as a healer. Spending time with him is such a delight. He constantly whispers phrases of gratitude under his breath. I hear him say, “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!” when he begins a healing. I hear him say it when things go well and when things don’t. He is one of the happiest people I know.
From my own life and those I’ve watched, I believe that what you focus on is what you attract. And if you concentrate on looking for experiences and people to appreciate, the more you will live in a state of appreciation and bliss. And when life challenges you, look for the little things to appreciate like lunchboxes to inflate your lifeboat.
May your blessings be plentiful this holiday season!
Namaste.
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Overcoming a Phobia: The Story of Radio Personality Brooke Ryan & Her Fear of Fish
A podcast series where radio show host Brooke Ryan shares her session by session experience of working with Rebecca to overcome her lifetime phobia of fish.
Summary: Brooke Ryan is a local radio show host of Charleston's Mix96 Radio show in the morning called "Two Girls and a Guy." This podcast series shares Brooke’s week by week experience over the radio working with Rebecca to overcome her lifetime phobia of fish.