Travelling by plane can be tiring and stressful, especially if you are not used to this mode of transportation. However, with a few simple tips, your flight can become a pleasant moment or even a true moment of relaxation

Choose your seat carefully

There's nothing worse than being in a place where you don't feel good, especially if you're more likely to be stressed in flight. Unless you're lucky enough to be in business, choosing the right place is critical. It is now easy to check in online with all airlines, on average 24 hours before your flight, so take the time to do so and choose your seat. Simply open the cabin plan and see which seats are available

To avoid cramped conditions, you have to avoid at all costs the middle seat where you are never really free to move around, between two passengers.

To have more room to stretch your legs, the seats near the emergency exits are very pleasant, but they're often the ones that are taken by storm as soon as the online check-in opens. So it's better to click faster than lightning if you want to be among the lucky ones.

Prefer the aisle seat if the flight is long so that you can stretch your legs regularly and take a toilet break whenever you want, without being hated by the passenger sitting next to you because you get up every 5 minutes..

If you are afraid of turbulence, avoid the seats at the bottom of the aircraft and prefer the front and middle seats (at wing level) where the shaking is a little less noticeable.

Equip yourself

In order to be able to relax in the plane, it is important to take short naps, especially if the flight is long. But sleeping in an airplane is not easy and you have to equip yourself with a minimum of equipment to do so.

A travel pillow is essential because it protects your cervical vertebrae and eliminates the risk of torticollis in case of poor sleeping position. We don't recommend airbags. Of course, they are the cheapest but they are not the most comfortable because not only is it quite tedious to inflate them, but they all tend to deflate while you sleep ... And in the end, the comfort they provide is pretty average.

Prefer ergonomic travel cushions. Made of memory foam, they adapt to your position and take the shape adapted to your neck. To avoid any slip-ups, test the cushion in the shop at the time of purchase, you will know right away if it will help you sleep like a baby. Prefer soft textures that will more easily give you the illusion that you are on your cozy pillow.

A travel mask and earplugs will help to insulate you from the lights and noise of the plane. They are provided on long haul but rarely on medium haul, so be prepared in this case.

Warm socks are very practical. This will allow you to take off your shoes and sleep without getting cold feet. Simple socks are often too thin in a plane where it's always a little cold, so take a second pair to put over or take your ski socks.

A moisturizing cream to soothe the skin that always feels tight in the airplane but also to make self-massages of the face and temples during the flight. For better relaxation, choose a cream based on essential oils such as lavender, chamomile or mandarin, known for their relaxing effect.

Do breathing exercises

The first effects of stress are felt on breathing. You get a feeling of suffocation and you can even do mini apneas when you're anxious. The ideal is therefore to work on your breathing to regulate your body and reduce your anxiety. But this is hardly obvious if one is not a follower of yoga or sophrology... There is, however, a trick. You can now download free apps on your smartphone to do these 5-minute breathing exercises. Of course, this must be done before boarding in order to be able to use the application in airplane mode.

To find one of these applications, just type "Respirelax", "relaxation", "relaxation" etc. and you will find a whole series of them. It's up to you to choose the one that suits you. These applications are fun and easy to use. They help you breathe in and out at a steady pace. Just do this exercise for 5 minutes and you will feel zen at the end. And it's also a good way to think about something else if you're going through a lot of turbulence!

Avoid alcohol

Drinking during a flight is not a good idea... Alcohol is first and foremost a stimulant and a deinhibitor but it is not what will calm you down in case of stress. Worse, it can increase your anxieties and make you unbearable to passengers or crew. And there is no shortage of stories of passengers disembarking after a high blood alcohol level... So avoid alcohol and drink plenty of water and herbal teas during the flight; they will help you rehydrate and feel good about your body because in a plane the body dries out much faster because of the pressurized air.