Having a fear of flying is no joke, and being told that you’re more likely to get into a car accident than a plane crash often does little to assuage your anxiety.
But a new tip for nervous fliers has been doing the round online and people claim it actually works.
Posting on TikTok, a user known as @elenaarco1 claimed that she had such an extreme fear, that before takeoff she’d have ‘full-on panic attacks’ and has had to get off a plane on several occasions.
Elena said she’d tried every kind of calming method she could think of to ease her emotions, but to no avail — until she tried a ‘ridiculous’ tip.
‘I came across a video of someone saying they always listen to a song that feels way too ridiculous to crash to,’ she explained in her video.
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‘Ever since, every time the plane takes off, I put on Come On Eileen by Dexys Midnight Runners and honestly it’s helped more than anything else ever has.’
Thousands of people have liked the trick, with dozens commenting to share that they do it too whenever they are on planes.
A user named @francescalc12 replied: ‘Omg!! This is my turbulence song, I play it on repeat whenever I get scared.’ While @danielleide2 shared: ‘Party Rock Anthem does the trick.’
Similarly, @emilyjane__96 wrote: ‘I put Top Gun’s Danger Zone on! Feels iconic on take off.
‘Try it, honestly! You won’t regret it. Pure rush of adrenaline and reframes the take off in a positive way. Makes you feel like a sick fighter pilot.’
Others revealed they listened to Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield which ‘saved’ them, Supertramp’s The Logical Song, and even the Coral Chorus Lobby Music from Fortnite.
What does a psychologist think?
Is there actually any real merit to this tip? We asked a psychologist for her expert opinion.
Dr Claire Vowell told Metro that it will all depend on the person, as treating fear is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach.
‘Fear of flying is common but there are lots of different reasons why someone would develop a phobia, for example a negative flying experience, fear because they’ve never been on a plane or because of anxieties in other areas,’ she said.
‘Fear of flying is treatable but it’s not a one-size-fits all approach.
‘Listening to a silly song on the plane may be helpful to someone as it would serve as a form of “cognitive distraction”, which stops the brain from focusing on the perceived threat.
‘But it should be noted that this is a short-term coping strategy and doesn’t address the underlying causes.’
She added that for those in need of a more long-term solution, they should consider trying Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which the NHS defines as ‘a type of talking therapy where a therapist helps you to change how you think and act’.
‘CBT is an effective treatment choice to understand the anxiety cycle. Learning how aeroplanes work is also a common approach. Common to other phobias, controlled exposure is considered the most effective treatment. This involves gradually building up to the experience of flying itself.’
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