‘I was terrified of flying until a pilot told me to think about being on a boat’

Some holidaymakers feel terror at the thought of boarding a plane.

While millions of Brits happily hop on board each year, those with a fear of flying may choose to avoid air travel altogether.

You might find this limits your holiday options to those reachable by land or ferry.

READ MORE: Frequent flyer reveals simple trick that can help if you're nervous on a plane

It also stops you from attempting to go to stunning long-haul destinations.

But, all is not lost as one nervous flyer has shared their mental trick for coping with a phobia of air travel.

They say you should "think of airplanes as boats".

Posting on Reddit in the LifeProTips section, they claim that their hack has vastly improved their ability to cope on a plane.

The anonymous person said: "So I was really afraid of flight, then one really kind pilot told me to think of aeroplanes like boats, he told me something like, 'The next time the aeroplane shakes or even moves due to air turbulence, think how you'd react if that same movement were on a boat shaking for a wave. Also if you still feel uncomfortable, look for a flight attendant, look how bored she/he is and you'll see you have no reason to worry'."

They added: "Man that changed my point of view so drastically, I overcame my fear and that was so fast that my girlfriend still thinks I'm lying to not burden her as she likes to travel so much.

"That bonus tip of ‘look for flight attendants they'll look really bored’ added a little fun part to it that still makes me smile when I think about it."

The easy advice quickly went viral with thousands liking and commenting on the post.

One person agreed: "I just look at the cabin crew. If they are chill, we are good. If they are screaming, start to worry”

While another wrote: "That's a really good way of putting it! I'm a super-nervous flyer as well, so I'll try that.

"Once years ago a passenger next to me helped me calm down by talking to me about his experiences as an army pilot.“He told me how planes have layers of safeties in place and backups for the backups when it comes to systems and such… and if he's not worried I shouldn't worry either.”

"The more you learn about how a plane flies and how pilots overcome problems in flight, the less I worry," a third added.

While one person said: "I can see this working for some people, for sure."

Another posted noted: "I tell my family a similar thing: Look straight forward and tell yourself you are on a bus.

"These are just potholes. No big deal. We'll be parked at our destination soon.

"Works every time."

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