Picture this: You’re at the gate, watching the board flicker with “DELAYED.” The announcements sound muffled. People are sighing, pacing, scrolling. Behind the scenes, federal employees are working without pay, air traffic controllers are short-staffed, and the ripple effects of the government shutdown are hitting airports across the country.
Even if you’re not traveling, you can feel the instability. It’s in the news, in the tension at the terminal, in that uneasy sense that something bigger is shaking the systems that keep us moving.
For many, this unease isn’t just logistical — it’s psychological. It pokes at something deeper: the fear of losing control.
When External Chaos Meets Internal Triggers
From a psychological standpoint, uncertainty activates our survival brain — the limbic system — designed to detect threat. For travelers and those already prone to anxiety, the government shutdown and flight disruptions can activate what I call “primal turbulence.”
It’s not just about a missed flight. It’s about what it means to your nervous system.
“I’m powerless.”
“I can’t depend on anyone.”
“I’m unsafe.”
If those thoughts sound familiar, you’re not alone. These beliefs often tie back to what I describe in my 7 Primal Wounds framework — early emotional imprints that form our unconscious expectations of the world. The current state of unpredictability in travel mirrors the unpredictable environments that created those wounds in the first place.
So when a flight gets canceled, your body might not just register inconvenience — it might register abandonment, helplessness, or powerlessness.
Why We Crave Control (and Panic When We Lose It)
Humans are wired to seek predictability. It’s what keeps our nervous systems calm. Aviation, at its core, is a perfect metaphor for this — pilots rely on structure, checklists, and clear communication to stay safe in dynamic skies.
But when external systems — like the FAA, TSA, or government infrastructure — become unstable, it threatens that sense of safety. Even if your rational brain says, “I’ll be fine,” your primal brain says, “We’re in danger.”
That’s why your heart races even when you’re just waiting. The body can’t tell the difference between an emotional threat and a physical one.
Grounding Techniques for Uncertain Skies
If you’re traveling (or simply living through the ripple of this uncertainty), here’s how to keep your mind steady when the world feels shaky:
1. Do a Pre-Flight Check on Your Thoughts
Before you step into the airport — or into your day — take a moment to notice what your mind is telling you.
Ask:
What’s in my control right now?
- What’s beyond my control?
- How can I prepare without catastrophizing?
- Just as pilots review systems before takeoff, a quick thought check helps regulate the nervous system. Awareness alone begins to deactivate the limbic alarm.
2. Regulate the Body Before the Mind
You can’t think your way out of a fight-or-flight state. You have to brea
the your way out.
Try this simple exercise:
Inhale for 4 seconds
- Hold for 4 seconds
- Exhale for 6 seconds
- That longer exhale signals your vagus nerve that you are safe, calming both your body and brain.
If you’re sitting on a delayed plane or stuck in a security line, use this pattern silently. No one will notice, but your system will thank you.
3. Reframe the Delay
Every delay or disruption is a real-time opportunity to practice surrender — not passive acceptance, but psych
ological flexibility.
Instead of “I’m stuck,” try reframing to:
“I’m being slowed down so I can reset.”
- “I’m learning to wait without spiraling.”
- “This is uncomfortable, but I can handle it.”
- The words you choose in moments of frustration literally shape your brain’s wiring. Reframing isn’t denial — it’s self-leadership.
4. Anchor in Sensory Reality
When anxiety spikes, it’s easy to get trapped in thought loops about what c
ould happen. Bring yourself back to the here and now:
Feel your feet on the ground.
- Notice three colors around you.
- Listen for one distinct sound.
- This grounds you in the physical world, pulling you out of cognitive turbulence and back into the cockpit of your awareness.
5. Give Grace — to Yourself and Others
Behind every checkpoint and control tower right now are humans — many working under extreme stress, uncertainty, or without pay. Anxiety is contagious, but so is compassion. When you extend patience, you reduce the stress load for everyone, including yourself.
Remember: kindness regulates the collective nervous system.
A Pilot’s Perspective on Psychological Flight
As a commercial pilot and clinician, I’ve learned that life is 90% mental prowess. You can’t stop turbulence /activations /triggers— you manage how you meet it.
This moment — government shutdowns, flight chaos, unpredictability — is a mirror. It’s showing us where we seek control, where we resist surrender, and how our primal wounds respond when life feels unstable.
You don’t need certainty to feel safe. You need tools, awareness, and a sense of internal authority.
When the world feels grounded, your stability comes from inside the cockpit of your mind.
Final Descent: Your Emotional Flight Plan
Recognize what's underneath the surface that’s being activated (powerlessness, insecurity, fear).
Regulate your body before trying to reason with your mind.
Reframe from “I can’t handle this” to “I can ride this out.”
Respond with grace, knowing that others are flying through their own storms.
The government may be shut down, but your nervous system doesn’t have to be. You can keep flying — calmly, consciously, and with courage — even when the systems around you falter.
Because you’re not just a passenger in this life. You’re the pilot.