Panic! on the Airplane? Here’s How to Keep High Hopes Amid Turbulence!

Have you ever experienced a bumpy ride in the skies?

That unsettling feeling of dropping and bouncing while flying—yes, that’s turbulence. Even seasoned travelers can get sweaty in their palms and feel their hearts racing because sometimes, the turbulence gets worse!

… but fear not! In this article, we will equip you with practical tips and tricks to turn turbulence from a nerve-wracking experience into a more manageable part of your flight!

What is turbulence?

Just like waves in the ocean, the sky has turbulence.

Turbulence results from uneven air movement that causes sudden changes in altitude, speed, and direction of an aircraft.

If you are having a hard time with the definition, try to picture this: You turn on your hair dryer. When you hold the hair dryer still, the air flows smoothly; however, as soon as you start moving the dryer around, the air becomes uneven—that is a turbulent behavior.

What causes turbulence?

Turbulence often stems from atmospheric instability due to various reasons:

• Jet streams

  Jet streams are high-altitude air currents that flow at very high speeds. When your airplane flies through these currents, there will be a sudden change in the speed and direction of the plane, and that causes turbulence.

• Weather patterns

  Another notorious suspect for turbulence are thunderstorms. When warm and cold air masses collide within a thunderstorm, they create rapid updrafts and downdrafts that extend beyond the clouds.

  This is why airplanes encounter abrupt changes in speed, altitude, and direction when navigating through or around thunderstorms—or why airlines delay flights during such times. Therefore, pilots carefully plan their routes to ensure passenger safety.

• Mountain waves

  Mountain waves create bumpy air waves that occur due to interactions between strong winds and mountainous terrain.

  Try to imagine strong winds blowing over a mountain. As the wind goes up and down, it also creates bumpy waves. Then, the air cools as it climbs the mountain and warms as it descends.

  These updrafts and downdrafts cause turbulence for airplanes.

• Aircraft movement

  The plane’s sudden change in direction or altitude caused by the maneuvering of the pilot also causes turbulence.

  When pilots adjust the plane's course or altitude, there is a disturbance in the normal flow of air around the aircraft. Usually, this disturbance creates minor fluctuations in air pressure and movement.

  This turbulence is usually brief and mild. However, it can still be felt by passengers until the aircraft stabilizes in its new flight path or altitude.

How does your body react to turbulence?

During a flight, your body expects movements like ascending, turning, and descending. However, turbulence forces your body to respond immediately to unexpected changes such as sudden drops and shifts in direction.

As a result, your body’s spatial orientation becomes disrupted when it is forced to respond immediately to a sudden change in direction. Spatial orientation refers to how your body recognizes the distance and direction of objects around you using signals sent by your eyes and inner ears.

The different sensory signals received by your ears and eyes can cause dizziness and sweaty palms, which are common bodily responses during a turbulence.

Ways to reduce turbulence’s discomfort

Turbulence can trigger nervousness and dizziness, feelings that may lead to discomfort and anxiety for passengers.

To alleviate these negative emotions, try these tips:

• Grab a window seat.

  According to an article written by Dr. Adam Taylor, a professor and director of the Clinical Anatomy Learning Centre at Lancaster University, looking through the window can calm your brain in processing the vestibular information or the information needed for spatial orientation.

  In fact, passengers on the window seat can focus on the horizon or distant scenery that may help alleviate motion sickness or anxiety associated with turbulence.

  Dr. Taylor also added that seats closer to the front or over the wing can reduce the effects of turbulence. If you are not in the mentioned seats, you can ask for a transfer as long as there are available seats.

  If the seats are full, consider doing the other tips below.

• Take deep breaths.

  During turbulence, it’s natural to get nervous and tense up, which can lead to shallow breathing. However, taking deep breaths help relax and calm your nervous system.

  A study proved that controlled breathing is effective to calm you down if you’re experiencing motion sickness due to turbulence.

  Meditation can also help. Visualize yourself in a peaceful environment. Sometimes, grounding yourself in the present moment can help you become calm.

• Keep yourself sober.

  If you think alcohol is the answer for everything, including nervousness or dizziness caused by turbulence, you are wrong.

  In fact, alcohol can only make things worse!

  Drinking alcoholic beverages before or during a flight can disrupt your sensory processing. This can worsen the effects of turbulence such as nausea and dizziness.

  Ingesting coffee is also not recommended as it can stimulate nervousness. Instead, drink other beverages that don't have any caffeine or alcohol like water and herbal teas.

• Try to distract yourself.

  Keeping your mind occupied is easier said than done when experiencing turbulence. We all know the advice: listen to music, watch a movie, or get lost in a book… but let's be honest. Sometimes, focusing on entertainment during turbulence is impossible.

  Instead, you can try having a conversation with your seatmate. Engage in positive conversations and reassure each other that you can still reach your destination despite the turbulence.

  If you are shy to talk to your seatmate, you can try to talk to a flight attendant. Flight attendants are trained to assist passengers to have a comfortable and memorable flight.

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We hope the information about turbulence and the tips to conquer it will help ease any discomfort and anxiety you may feel in your next travels!

Experiencing turbulence is unsettling, and it's completely normal to feel nervous and distressed… but remember, calmer skies await you on the other side.

Stay informed and prepared so you can navigate through turbulence and enjoy your next air travels.

Have high hopes and stay safe!