How Mindfulness Colouring Calmed My Flight Anxiety
How Mindfulness Colouring Calmed My Flight Anxiety
Flying feels overwhelming for me: the anticipatory anxiety, the build-up, the waiting at the gate, and especially the moment the doors close.
But the idea behind mindfulness colouring on a plane didn’t begin with flying.
It began with grief.
A few years ago, during a difficult period in my life, I found myself turning back to art, something I had always enjoyed when I was younger. I started drawing as a quiet way to sit with what I was feeling. There was something about the simple act of putting pen to paper that helped me process emotions I didn’t quite have words for.
Drawing didn’t fix anything. But it softened the edges.
Over time, I realised that the same racing thoughts and heightened emotions I felt during grief were similar to what I experienced as a nervous flyer. Whether triggered by loss or 30,000 feet above the clouds, my anxiety spoke the same language. That’s when I wondered — could I use creativity in the air the same way I had used it on the ground?
The First Experiment: Using Art to Manage Flight Anxiety
Before one upcoming flight, I drew one or two simple designs. Nothing elaborate — just calming, travel-themed pages to focus on.
I packed them in my bag, along with my colouring pencils, without really knowing if they’d help.
On the plane, when I felt that familiar rise of anxiety, I took them out and started colouring. I coloured from the start until the end of the flight.
The gentle distraction they provided was exactly what I needed.
Not dramatic. Not life-changing in that moment. But steady. Grounding. Reassuring.
For the first time, I had something that quietly held my attention without overstimulating me.
Colouring in one of the 'First Experiments'
Image © FlyColourCalm. All Rights Reserved.
Why Colouring Helps Me in the Air
1. It Gives My Mind Something Gentle to Focus On
When I’m anxious about flying, my thoughts spiral. Even though they are not facts, these thoughts are my reality.
Colouring gives my brain something specific and manageable:
-
Choosing colours
-
Filling in shapes
-
Completing small sections
Instead of trying to block anxious thoughts, I simply redirect my attention.
For me, it feels like giving my mind a soft landing place.
Image © FlyColourCalm. All Rights Reserved.
2. It Slows My Movements
Anxiety often shows up physically:
-
Shallow breathing and a racing heart
-
Tension throughout my body
-
Restlessness, nausea, feeling faint
Colouring naturally slows my hands. The rhythm of it encourages me to settle without forcing anything.
I think to myself: colour, pause, breathe.
Image © FlyColourCalm. All Rights Reserved.
3. It Keeps Me Present
Fear of flying often pulls me into the future:
-
What if the turbulence gets worse?
-
What if there is an issue?
-
What if I panic?
I cannot control the outcomes of ‘What if’ questions, but I can control my colouring. Colouring keeps me present with what’s directly in front of me — this section, this colour, this page.
Image © FlyColourCalm. All Rights Reserved.
4. It Gives Me Something to Return To
If I feel a spike of nerves, I don’t have to decide what to do. The page is already there.
That structure matters more than I expected.
It’s actually what led me to create Fly Colour Calm — a colouring book designed specifically to be travel-sized and fit on an aeroplane tray table, with reassuring flight facts, gentle affirmations, in-flight relaxation techniques such as breathing prompts, and space to reflect afterwards. I can look at previous pages and remember that I can do this because I have done it before.
It grew from something deeply personal into something practical.
Image © FlyColourCalm. All Rights Reserved.
A Gentle Note
I’m not a therapist, and this isn’t professional advice. I’m simply sharing what helped me as someone who has struggled with flight anxiety.
Fly Colour Calm does not aim to cure, but to support. Colouring doesn't make me a 'perfect' flyer, and it doesn't remove the fear entirely—but it does make the experience more manageable.
And sometimes, manageable is enough.
Becky Barrett - Creator and Illustrator of FlyColourCalm.
Image © FlyColourCalm. All Rights Reserved.