There are plenty of things to worry about when flying, from lost luggage to missing a connecting flight to cramped seating on board. And while it may seem like people have been complaining about air travel for ages, it’s safe to say that flying has never been more stressful than it is now. Enter: “gatexiety,” a term that hit the headlines in 2024 and has since gained traction as a realistic response to the stressful situation of traveling by air. Here’s what it means — along with a few helpful tips to reduce your cortisol levels the next time you’re in an airport.

What Is “Gatexiety”?

As travelers on social media began commiserating about the anxiety of getting to one’s airport gate and described compulsively (and repetitively) checking departure boards and boarding passes, the term “gatexiety” was born. (Gate + anxiety = gatexiety.) 

Being anxious about missing a flight is nothing new. Wait times to get through security can sometimes exceed an hour. Airports are bigger and busier than ever, so reaching your gate can boost your daily step count — and eat up a lot of time. And flights do change their originally assigned gates (and sometimes even terminals!) frequently and at the last minute, for a variety of reasons.

Dr. Johanna Wood, a clinical psychologist specializing in anxiety disorders, understands the angst. “There are a lot of aspects of airports that may elicit anxiety,” she says. “One of the biggest reasons people feel anxious is the fear of the unknown. It’s often helpful to look at maps of the airport, [and] review your route to the right terminal and to the gate. Look up rules on flying and how to go through TSA beforehand. Finding out more information can make us feel more in control. Getting to the airport with plenty of time before boarding will help avoid anxiety about missing the flight and reduce the feeling of being rushed, which can make the whole process feel calmer.”

Below are six other tips for reducing “gatexiety” and airport anxiety in general. 

Give Yourself Plenty of Time

This is the one piece of advice that Dr. Wood and pretty much everyone else agree on: Being rushed will only make anxiety worse. Give yourself a generous cushion of time to deal with traffic, long TSA lines, a gate assignment that suddenly changes from one end of a concourse to the other, or any of the myriad issues that can get your travel off to a stressful start. Experts recommend arriving no later than two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international itinerary, or even earlier in some circumstances. Being early costs nothing except time and allows you to relax at (or near) your gate with a beverage or a book.

Download the Apps

All airlines have their own apps, as do most major airports and the TSA. These apps are helpful for checking TSA wait times and displaying maps that show where (and how) to get to your gate. Enable the push notifications on your airline app to get mobile boarding passes, up-to-the-minute info on delays and cancellations, and alerts for those dreaded last-minute gate changes. The free FlightAware app also gives real-time status updates and can sometimes notify even faster than the airline’s own product.

If You Fly Frequently, Splurge for a Service

Getting through airport security can be both slow and stressful. For frequent flyers, a service to expedite that makes sense. People who are in and out of the country on a regular basis will want to check out Global Entry, a Trusted Traveler Program that expedites passing through border control upon return to the U.S. A five-year membership is $120 and requires an in-person interview. 

Membership in Global Entry includes TSA PreCheck, a domestic program that offers dedicated security lanes where flyers can leave electronics and 3-1-1 liquids in their bags, and not have to take off belts and light jackets. Five years of TSA PreCheck membership without Global Entry costs $85, but check to see if your travel credit card offers a credit.

Scope Out the Territory

Once you’ve sailed through security, there’s nothing wrong with checking the electronic departure displays. But compulsively checking over and over will only make you more anxious. Locate the gate your plane is currently scheduled to depart from, and make sure the destination display matches your flight plans. Then, you can make yourself comfortable or locate the nearest restaurant or lounge — but make sure to give yourself time before the start of boarding to ensure that the gate hasn’t changed. (Those airline app push notifications still aren’t perfect.) 

Take Out the Earbuds

I once very nearly missed a flight because I got engrossed in a playlist and didn’t hear a gate change announcement. Those announcements can be hard to hear over the intercom at the best of times and sometimes aren’t announced at all. It’s always a good idea to turn off the tunes well in advance of your boarding time and take one last look at the display above your gate.

Take It Easy on the Alcohol

Every airport bartender has multiple stories of passengers looking up during their third cocktail only to realize that — oops — their flight has departed, leaving them soused and stranded. While one bloody mary might ease preflight jitters, more than that can lead you to lose track of time. Plus, alcohol affects your body differently once you’re at cruising altitude, and airplane cabins tend to be dehydrating, so you may want to skip that second round and refill your water bottle instead.