52 • happiful • May 2019
With hypnotherapy you can
reprogramme your old or unwanted
behaviour patterns and create new,
more positive ones
UP IN THE AIR: THREE
STEPS TO MANAGE
YOUR IN-FLIGHT
ANXIETYAlongside the therapy options
discussed here, there are
simple, practical steps you
can take when you’re mid-
flight. If you feel your fear
starting to rise alongside the
altitude, try these useful tips
from Harry:- Listen to a song on your
phone and pay attention to
the lyrics. Switch the device
off and try to repeat the
words from memory. Repeat
with other songs. Using
noise-cancelling headphones
will also help to block out
unfamiliar technical noises
from the cabin. - If you’re worried by
turbulence, place a cup half-
full of water on the tray table.
Notice that the turbulence
hardly disturbs the water (what
can feel like plunging hundreds
of feet is actually only a matter
of inches!). - Learn abdominal breathing
(guidance on this can be found
online) as it’s not possible to
manifest full-blown physical
symptoms of a panic attack
while doing it – and knowing
this could help to prevent one!
imagination, and memories, as well
as our sympathetic nervous system
that controls the functioning of our
fight or flight response.”
He tells us that when we encounter
something unfamiliar, such as
turbulence, we learn a particular
behaviour in response. Every time
something similar happens, our
reactions attached to the memory are
triggered. For some of us, this means
we experience anxiety symptoms.HOW CAN WE FLY WITHOUT FEAR?
Understanding why flying can
cause anxiety is one thing, but
knowing what to do about it is
another. Fortunately there are several
different treatments available, such as
cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
and fear of flying programmes run
by airlines, which explain the more
technical aspects of flying. Harry
notes that a good therapy programme
should engage both the conscious
and subconscious aspects of the mind
to be effective – and this is where
hypnotherapy steps in.
“It is useful to think of the human
mind as consisting of two layers. The
outer layer is our conscious mind,
which deals with our daily decision-
making processes, and is intelligent,
realistic, logical, and proactive.
“When capacity is reached, any
additional information is stored
away in the filing system of the
subconscious mind, which is
concerned with our emotions,