I don’t remember dealing with anxiety much as a kid, but sometime around college it showed up and decided to stick around. I was eventually diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder — which, honestly, feels like half of our generation at this point.

For me, travel — especially flying — has always been a big trigger.

And the funny thing is, I’m a very rational person. I know the statistics.

You’re more likely to get struck by lightning than be involved in a plane crash.
You’re far more likely to get into a car accident than have anything happen on a flight.
Commercial flying is still considered one of the safest forms of transportation in the world.

But anxiety doesn’t really care about statistics.

And if you’re someone who also deals with travel anxiety, you probably know exactly what I mean.

Lately, it hasn’t helped that my TikTok feed occasionally throws in videos about planes — which I highly recommend removing from your algorithm if you can. The reality is that flying is incredibly safe, but when you already struggle with anxiety, seeing those videos doesn’t exactly calm your nerves.

For me, I think my anxiety around flying comes from a few different things.

The biggest one is lack of control. When you’re on a plane, you’re completely along for the ride. If you start feeling panicky, there’s no quick exit. You can’t exactly ask the pilot to pull over.

The other part might sound a little strange, but I’ve realized that excitement and anxiety feel almost identical in the body.

When I’m excited about a trip — everything I’ve planned, everything we’re going to see — my body sometimes interprets that adrenaline as anxiety instead.

I’ve noticed this especially because the flight to a destination is always harder for me than the flight home. Once the trip has happened and the anticipation is gone, I’m usually much calmer.

If it were up to me, I would probably drive everywhere. But with limited PTO and kids in school, that’s not always realistic.

Over the years, I’ve figured out a few things that help me manage travel anxiety so that I can still enjoy the trips we take as a family.

None of these are magic fixes, but they’ve made a big difference for me.

Things That Help Me Manage Travel Anxiety

Preparation

The day before flying, I try to take extra care of myself.

That means eating well, drinking plenty of water, avoiding alcohol, and getting a good night’s sleep.

When you already struggle with anxiety, small things like dehydration, hunger, or being overly tired can mimic anxiety symptoms. Your body might start feeling shaky, lightheaded, or off, and when you’re already on edge it’s easy for your brain to interpret those sensations as something bigger.

Making sure my body feels steady before I even get to the airport has helped me more than almost anything else.

Not Rushing the Morning

My husband and I have very different travel styles.

I’m the make-lists, pack-days-ahead, arrive-early type of traveler.

He’s more of a pack-the-morning-of and get-to-the-airport-just-in-time type.

Opposites attract, I guess.

When he travels for work, he can do it his way. But when we travel as a family, I’ve learned that not rushing the morning makes a huge difference for my anxiety.

Having time to get ready slowly, double-check bags, and arrive at the airport without stress helps me start the trip in a much calmer headspace.

Avoiding the Turbulence Apps

This one took me a while to learn.

There are a lot of apps and websites that claim to predict turbulence, and I used to check them obsessively before every flight.

The problem is… they’re almost always wrong.

I’ve had flights predicted to be perfectly smooth that ended up being bumpy, and flights that were supposed to be turbulent that felt completely normal.

Checking those apps just left me stressing for hours before the flight even started, which wasn’t helping anything.

Now I simply avoid them altogether. I’ve found it’s much better to go into a flight without already anticipating every bump.

Distractions

One unexpected benefit of traveling with kids is that they are excellent distractions.

When we fly, I usually sit between my kids, and there is always something happening. Someone needs a snack, someone wants to show me something on their iPad, or someone needs help opening something. It keeps my mind busy and focused on something other than the flight.

I also come prepared with my own distractions.

I load my phone with shows I enjoy — usually something light and not too intense (anything Bravo works great for me).

I’ll also bring a book, but I’ve learned to avoid thrillers or anything suspenseful. Lately, I’ve been reading lighter books like Emily Henry. Sometimes I even listen to the audiobook while reading along, which helps keep my brain focused on the story instead of the plane.

Let the Flight Attendant Know

This is something I wish I had started doing sooner.

Flight attendants are very used to helping nervous flyers, and they’re usually more than happy to check in on you if they know you’re feeling anxious.

For me, turbulence is usually the hardest part. When the pilot comes on and explains what’s happening, I feel much more relaxed.

When nothing is said, my brain tends to imagine the worst-case scenario — even though I know that’s not actually what’s happening.

Letting a flight attendant know that you’re a nervous flyer can help a lot. Sometimes they’ll check in during the flight or simply reassure you if things get bumpy.

Another trick that helps me: watch the flight attendants. If they’re up walking around and going about their normal routine, it’s a good reminder that everything is completely fine.

Taking the Pressure Off

Something else that has helped me is reminding myself that it’s okay to feel anxious.

For a long time, I felt frustrated with myself for feeling that way. I love traveling. I want to enjoy it. So why was flying making me so nervous?

Once I stopped trying to fight the anxiety and instead focused on managing it, things started to get a lot easier.

A Little Extra Help When I Need It

These strategies have helped me a lot, but I’d be lying if I said they completely eliminated my anxiety.

Sometimes I still struggle with flying, and that’s okay.

I do have a prescription for Xanax, which I use when I need it (and always under my doctor’s guidance). Honestly, sometimes just knowing I have it with me is enough to make me feel better — even if I never take it.

Some flights are easier than others. Sometimes I need the extra help, and sometimes I don’t.

Traveling With Anxiety Is Still Worth It

For a while, my anxiety made me feel more afraid of traveling than excited about it. I’d spend more time worrying about the flight than looking forward to the trip—and there were even times I rescheduled or cancelled flights because of it.

But over time, these small changes have helped me get to a place where I can still travel, explore new places, and enjoy these experiences with my family.

And that’s what matters most.

If you also deal with travel anxiety, I hope some of these ideas help you too.

And if you have any tips that have worked for you, I’d genuinely love to hear them — feel free to share in the comments.

Because the places we get to experience once we land are always worth it.