6 Ways to Ease Flight and Turbulence Anxiety

On a recent flight to Chicago, Allison Levy said she was “white-knuckling” the armrest as the plane rumbled and shook for brief periods of time.

Ms. Levy, 47, who lives in Arlington, Va., started to take deep breaths and tried to reassure herself: “It’s like a bumpy road — it’s not a big deal.”

But, she added, “if I knew the person next to me, I’d definitely grip their thigh.”

Airplane turbulence, which is usually caused by large changes in airflow in the Earth’s upper atmosphere, is generally a minor nuisance.

But this year alone, there have been multiple instances of severe turbulence on flights that have led to dozens of passenger injuries. And scientists have warned that we may have bumpier flights in the years ahead because of elevated carbon dioxide emissions that are warming the atmosphere, which can alter the speed and direction of the wind.

This is unwelcome news for everyone, especially those of us who are already scared of flying, like Ms. Levy.

Here are several ways to help calm your nerves if you’re eager to travel but dreading potential turbulence.

Put things in perspective.

Turbulence is not usually a cause for concern. It’s far more common to encounter low to moderate turbulence than the severe kind that throws heavy drink carts into the air.

“While pilots can ease most turbulence, it is still unavoidable or unexpected for some flights, but planes are designed to safely withstand the impacts,” the Air Line Pilots Association, a prominent pilots’ union, said in a statement.

It may also help to know that, according to a 2020 study, it has never been safer to travel on a commercial airline.

Passenger injuries from turbulence are rare. In the 13 years spanning 2009 to 2022, for example, a total of 34 passengers were seriously injured because of turbulence, according to data from the Federal Aviation Administration. And the last turbulence-related death on a major airline happened more than 25 years ago, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a 2021 report.

Traveling by plane is much safer than traveling by car: The odds of dying during a commercial flight in the United States are too small to calculate, according to the National Safety Council. Meanwhile, the chances of dying in a motor vehicle crash are 1 in 93, the nonprofit advocacy group says.

Skip the alcohol.

It might be tempting to reach for an alcoholic beverage in the hopes of calming your nerves, but “remember that what you eat and drink impacts your…