Are you scared to fly? These tips on how to overcome fear of flying are based on Sandra Bullock’s experience. She overcame her fear of flying after years of being terrified of air travel.
Fear of flying is one of the most common fears – and movie stars aren’t immune. Here’s how Sandra Bullock finally decided to overcome fear of flying…but since the “Vomit Comit” was cancelled, I don’t think she actually overcame her fears.
“I’m petrified of flying,” said Sandra Bullock in a Vogue interview. “Plummeting out of the sky was not my idea of how I wanted to work with [director] Alfonso Cuarón. But at one point I sat down and said, ‘What is it about this movie that is telling me to get off my ass and get over something that has paralyzed me?’ ”
Have you heard of the phrase, “Necessity is the mother of invention”? That’s what drove Sandra Bullock to overcome fear of flying: she wanted to make this movie (Gravity), so she had to deal with her fears. It’s as simple as that. If you want to overcome your fear of flying, you have to find something that’s more important to you than your fears.
At the end of this article, I list resources on how to overcome fear of flying. My favorite is Cockpit Confidential, which is a book based on an “Ask the Pilot” series.
But Did Sandra Bullock Really Overcome Fear of Flying?
The irony is that the movie makers decided to remove the part where Sandra Bullock actually had to fly, due to logistical reasons. The plan was to put her in a specialized airplane nicknamed the “Vomit Comet” and plunge her out of the sky to create brief moments of weightlessness. This gave her a knot in her stomach, but she put aside her fear of flying and signed on.
And that, my friends is the best tip on how to overcome fear of flying: put aside your fears and get on that airplane because you have to do it. Maybe you have family members waiting for you on the other side of the world, or you want to take an exotic vacation for once in your life. Maybe you want to make a movie – or maybe you want to overcome fear of flying just because it’s time.
Tips on How to Overcome Fear of Flying
Learn the facts about flying (not the best way to overcome fear of flying). When I searched for articles on how to overcome fear of flying, I found several that described the statistics of flying. For instance, you’re safer in an airplane than in a car. You’re more likely to die crossing the street than in a plane crash. More people drown in one year in the United States than have died in a plane crash (according to the Bureau of Safety Statistics, 3,288 people in the US died from airplane related accidents from 1982 to 2010. Five thousand people drowned in ONE YEAR).
Learning the facts and stats about flying won’t help you overcome fear of flying. Your fears are emotional and feeling-based; stats and facts don’t calm emotions. What will help you overcome your fear of flying? It depends on your personality, lifestyle, and the root cause of your fear of flying. Some people are inspired by movie stars and celebrities, so Sandra Bullock’s story on how she overcame fear of flying may be all you need (even though Sandra Bullock didn’t actually overcome her fear of flying).
Think about anti-anxiety drugs to help you overcome your fear of flying. “This is going to sound a little strange [coming from a psychologist],” says Dr. Margaret Wehrenberg, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist and author of The 10 Best-Ever Anxiety Management Techniques. “But if taking an anti-anxiety drug makes it possible for you to fly without discomfort, then you probably can get by with that. There are a number of people who are nervous flyers who get by with benzodiazepines from their doctor and that works for them. She says that iff you’re losing sleep, feeling sick with anxiety, or avoiding travel because of your fear of flying, then you should speak with a doctor or a mental-health professional for guidance.
Go easy on yourself. “We’re all where we’re supposed to be,” she says now. “I am exactly where I want to be now. You can’t go backward. I’m not going backward. I’m grateful that I’m here, blessed to have what I have. Nobody can be prepared for anything. If you end up in a place where you can look back and go, ‘It happened, but I’m so lucky to be sitting where I am sitting. . . .’ ”
Source of Sandra Bullock quotes about overcoming fear of flying: Sandra Bullock Is On Top of The World with Her New Film Gravity.
Resources on How to Overcome Fear of Flying
Flying Without Fear: Effective Strategies to Get You Where You Need to Go by Duane Brown. Fear of flying starts with an innocent, altogether reasonable worry: What if the plane has a mechanical defect? What if I have a panic attack? Then the anxious thoughts multiply. You may know that these fears are irrational, but that doesn’t slow them down. And before you know it, the risks of flying seem so great, you can’t even think about getting on a plane. Based in cognitive behavioral therapy, the program in this book will prepare you for every sight, sound, and sensation you will experience in the airport and airplane. This fully revised and updated book on how to overcome fear of flying also includes new information about terrorism concerns and airport security measures adopted after 9/11.
Cockpit Confidential: Everything You Need to Know About Air Travel: Questions, Answers, and Reflections by Patrick Smith. For millions of people, travel by air is a confounding, uncomfortable, and even fearful experience. Patrick Smith, airline pilot and author of the web’s popular Ask the Pilot feature, separates the fact from fallacy and tells you everything you need to know about how to overcome fear of flying.
I welcome your thoughts on overcoming fear of flying and/or Sandra Bullock below!
