A lot of people are a little chicken about flying.  Some are even A LOT chicken. 

Maybe you remember the children’s story about the chicken that ran around saying, “The sky is falling, the sky is falling!”  Her name was Chicken Little, but in reality she was a BIG chicken.  What she worried about most—the sky falling—was really nothing more than an acorn.  But she doesn’t discover this fact until she’s alarmed her entire community and almost had them all swallowed up by the hungry fox.   

So what does Chicken Little’s story have to do with fear of flying?  This is turkey talk week!  Well, if you look at the way Chicken Little reacted when the acorn fell on her head, you will understand something about a fearful flyer’s behavior. Because Chicken Little believed the acorn was really a piece of falling sky, she reacted as if disaster was looming. If you’re a fearful flyer, your beliefs about flying will make you do strange things.  For example, you might avoid flying because you’re afraid the plane is going to fall out of the sky. Just like Chicken Little, our beliefs drive our behavior.     

Now let’s talk turkey about fear of flying.  If you’re a little chicken or even a big one about flying, how about a new recipe to overcome your fear of flying?  I know it’s no longer safe to stuff your turkey, but if you’re a fearful flyer, we recommend stuffing yourself with anything you can to help you manage your fear. Now here's the recipe: 

• Stuff in information about flying from FearlessFlight.com to educate yourself about the mysteries of flight. 
• Mix in coping strategies such as relaxation and breathing techniques. 
• Consider adding in a distraction technique by purchasing Chicken Soup for the Soul Presents the Fearless FlightKit™ with the Flight Harmonizer CD™ that has helped hundreds be distracted from their fear. 
• Begin to “talk turkey” with others—explain to them what your fear is like and get your feelings out in the open.  If you suffer from severe anxiety in other areas of your life, you may need to talk your feelings through with a therapist and uncover deeper issues.  Above all, don't be afraid to admit you're afraid!  

Once you’re “stuffed” with your new recipe for overcoming fear of flying, consider a short practice flight of around an hour’s duration.  You may want to take along a trusted friend or partner to encourage and support you.  If you can manage a short flight, it will give you the confidence to tackle a longer one.

Finally, know that every turkey stuffed with even the best recipe eventually has to face the fire of the oven.  As a fearful flyer, you WILL have to face some amount of uncomfortable feelings when you fly.  But I promise you, it will get easier each time you fly once you’ve begun to face your fear. Can’t say the same though for that turkey.  One fiery oven and his goose is cooked for sure!