10 Tips To Overcome Skydiving Anxiety

Skydiving for the first time anxiety is totally normal – jumping from an airplane understandably throws some fear your way. BUT, it’s that delicious type of fear that, when conquered, makes you feel truly alive and unstoppable. 

We’ve got you covered with our 10 top tips for how to mentally prepare for skydiving, whether you’re nervous about the freefall or just unsure about the entire vibe. We’re here to help you turn your skydiving anxiety into pure excitement. 

Is Skydiving Scary? 

Meh. Skydiving is scary in theory, absolutely. However, those who skydive repeatedly don’t do it for the fear-factor, but more beneficial attributes: the community, the peace, the confidence boost, and so much more. 

Wait, did we just say peace? How can something so intimidating bring serenity? The brain’s weird like that! Skydiving anxiety is normal, but so is having a totally awesome and nearly euphoric experience when you jump. 

Let’s get into our top 10 tips to combat those pre-jump jitters and overcome skydiving anxiety: 

1. Validate yourself. 

Say it with us: skydiving with anxiety is possible! Don’t hype yourself up for the big day by pushing down the apprehension or telling yourself to get over the nervousness. Rather, tell yourself this simple statement: I can do it anxious. We don’t have a magic recipe for how not to be at least a little bit afraid of skydiving, but we can assure you time and time again that embracing the fear is the way to go. If you’re questioning, “Can I skydive if I have anxiety?” The answer is abso-freakin-lutely!

2. Visualize it. 

Or take it a step further and come see us! Want to see what the skydiving vibes are all about without committing to take the leap? Feel free to pop by for a visit to our spectator area or have a chat with our staff about your nerves. 

Remember, all of us were in your exact shoes at one time or another. The skydiving community is one of the most welcoming in the world, and we would bet that any dropzone would be happy to have you as a non-jumping guest at any time. 

3. Trust your instructor. 

We know, we know … we’re asking a lot by wanting you to trust a complete stranger with your life. BUT, let us instill some confidence. Tandem skydiving instructors have years of experience and hundreds – if not thousands – of skydives. This means they have spent hours in freefall! Skydivers may come off as the coolest of cucumbers, but we’re pretty serious about what we do. 

4. Focus on the thrill. 

Okay, we know this is easier said than done. But, stick with us and consider this: think about the fact that you’re about to do something that the vast majority of humans will never ever do. 

5. Blast your hype song. 

That’s right … whatever your safe song is, blast it at full volume on your ride to the dropzone. Belt it from the top of your lungs! 

6. Laugh at the nerves. 

We’ll help you with this part by cracking quite a few jokes – laughter and good vibes is sort of an integral part of dropzones. 

7. Lean into your why. 

Think about why you signed up. Was it a dare from friends? Perfect, think about the awesome story that y’all can tell for years to come. Maybe you’re jumping to celebrate a milestone – congrats! Perhaps you want to add a check on the bucket list or actively face a fear of heights. Whatever your why is – deep or not – use it as motivation. 

8. Think about the after. 

There’s two ways to think about the after: physically and mentally. Physically … you’ll be done and you can say you did it! You can (quite literally) dust yourself off, go grab a marg on the beach, take a stroll, and watch the sunset. If this idea of the ‘after’ helps you work through it, great! On the other hand, you can think about how satisfied you’ll feel once you’ve done it. Your anxiety will be squashed and you’ll be on top of the world for days to come. Plus, you can still go get that marg! 

9. Connect with the community. 

Talk with people who have been skydiving, or who avidly skydive, before your jump! There are plenty of communities on Reddit and Facebook geared toward beginners. And, as a reminder, you’re always welcome to swing by the DZ.

10. Own it. 

This is easier AFTER the fact and sort of ties into your why, but really think about how this isn’t just something that’s happening to you – it’s something you’re doing. You’ve gotta reframe it a bit. Think about it like this: you’re not being pushed, you’re taking the leap; you’re not falling, you’re flying. You’ve got this! 

So, there ya have it – our best practices to overcome the innate anxiety that surrounds our phenomenal sport! If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us – we can’t wait to have you and to support you as you overcome your fear!