Cramped seats, crowded flights, and unexpected turbulence can make even seasoned airline travelers a bit frazzled. Thankfully, there are a few simple ways tech can help you relax and combat stress at 10,000+ feet.
1. Reduce Flight Stress With an App
If you’re someone who feels nervous while flying, then invest in some apps designed to help reduce this specific—and incredibly common—type of anxiety. The SimpliFly app, for instance, provides education about plane mechanics and air travel in general, including the many precautions in place for issues such as inclement weather.
Start by answering a few questions about your level of experience with flying, as well as the potential scenarios that tend to upset you. Created by an airline pilot, the app offers a variety of informative videos and audio recordings that explain why commercial airplanes are generally a safe mode of transportation.
Most of all, the app approaches airplane anxiety with a sense of understanding and compassion, all while offering reminders that hundreds of thousands of people travel safely by airplanes every day. It’s a great app to review before setting off on the next flight, or to browse from the airplane seat for a bit of in-air reassurance.
Download:SimpliFly foriOS|Android(Free, subscription available)
2. Try Airplane Yoga
There’s a whole micro-genre of YouTube videos dedicated to small stretches for airplanes (that will not annoy your fellow travelers). It’s a wonderful antidote for those who feel restless and cramped in an airplane seat.
Try this video from Man Flow Yoga to ease tension in your body while in flight. I followed along with this routine on a recent flight and was pleasantly surprised by how calm and relaxed I felt afterward.
This video from Yoga with Olga is also a useful resource for longer flights. Gently move around a bit and reconnect with the breath in this quick routine.
Most of the movements are so subtle that your fellow passengers won’t even notice. After landing, check out thebest online yoga classesto keep the relaxation going.
3. Practice Meditation
Use flight time to practice meditation. The Oak - Meditation & Breathing app lets you create customized meditations with plenty of soothing background sounds.
The simple, straightforward app includes both mindful and loving kindness meditations, as well as a section for unguided meditation. Select the duration, any background sounds, and optional chimes to signify the beginning and end of the practice.
With another section for breathing and sleep exercises, as well as courses to dive deeper into the practice, this app offers a gentle introduction for anyone curious about meditation.
Download:Oak - Meditation & Breathing foriOS(Free, in-app purchases available)
Some airlines, such as JetBlue and Delta, even offer meditations as part of the in-flight entertainment, so scroll through the options to check. It’s an excellent chance toget started with meditation for the first timeor try out some new meditations.
4. Attempt to Sleep
Although it’s often easier said than done, sleeping through a flight is one of the best ways to avoid airplane anxiety and stress. The Sleepiest app contains over 440 soothing bedtime stories, 250 sleep meditations, and relaxing sleep sounds. Even if you aren’t able to nap in the sky, it’s still a wonderful way to destress and calm down a bit.
Visit theLibrarysection to sort through the apps' many meditations, soundscapes, and stories—the sheer amount of content is impressive. There’s also the option to sort by narrators if a particular voice helps you wind down.
Ranging from about 10 to 40 minutes, the meditations invite you to practice positive affirmations, tune in to body scans, and enjoy a variety of visualization meditations. Imagine exploring a healing market in New Zealand, or admiring a land filled with waterfalls, for instance.
The sleep sounds section, meanwhile, includes relaxing music and other ambient sounds. Enjoy binaural soundscapes or gentle river sounds to make the plane seat a bit cozier.
Stories whisk you away into a relaxing scenario. Join Faye and Lorenzo on a Tuscan cooking lesson in Amongst the Lavender Fields, or visit Dolly the librarian in A Night in the Library. The stories are captivating—but definitely free from much drama—and well-read by a calming narrator.
On theCreatescreen, mix and match over 90 preset sounds to create a custom soothing mix. It’s a lot of fun to test out the various rain, instrumental, animal, and household sounds to invent something unique. Try drifting off to the sounds of a stormy beach or mix birdsong mixed with harp music. Chances are, you’ll keep enjoying the app long after the plane touches down.
Download:Sleepiest: Sleep Meditations foriOS(Subscription required, free trial available)
5. Give Progressive Muscle Relaxation a Try
By consciously contracting and then relaxing muscles, this technique helps ease tension throughout the body. In fact, progressive muscle relaxation is an effective way to reduce stress and anxiety, according toEvidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
Follow along with this Johns Hopkins Medical video from the plane seat for a bit of in-air relaxation.
6. Zone Out
Distract yourself from stress with the amazing amount of media available to most airline passengers. If possible, invest in some of thebest headphones for traveland indulge in a variety of music, audiobooks, or shows. (Bring a pair with a headphone jack to use the in-flight entertainment.)
For a free option right on a phone or tablet, the Kanopy app lets you watch movies, documentaries, and shows with a linked library card.
Catch up on a reality series, take in an Oscar-winning film, or learn something new with a video from The Great Courses. With thousands of free films available, there’s something for everyone here.
Download:Kanopy foriOS|Android(Free)
Make Flying Less Stressful With Help From Apps and Videos
Whether you want to practice relaxation techniques, doze off, or simply get lost in some great media, there are plenty of ways to ease stress and make the next airplane ride even better. Take to the skies knowing your favorite devices offer a number of ways to make it a restful, pleasant trip.
