Traveling is fun and adventurous, but jet lag can put a damper on your trip if you don’t know how to take care of it the right way. If you have kids with you, you want to be able to keep up with them and do all kinds of fun things together. You can’t do much if jet lag has taken over you. As for those frequent flyers that travel a lot for business, jet lag can also affect you especially if you are tired and “out of it” that can put a damper on business. It is important to learn how to handle your Jet Lag whether traveling for fun or for business. In this post I will provide a few simple and easy steps to help you combat jet lag that will get you feeling back to normal in no time!
Prepare for the time zone change: It is always good to start early to help your body adjust to the different time zones. Start by going to sleep an hour earlier or later (depending on where you are going) a few days before you go to get your body used to the new time zone. Helping your body staying rested will help lower the symptoms of Jet Lag.
Plane Ride: Once you are on the plane headed to your destination, act as if you are already there. First, it will help if you set your watch to the time zone that you are headed to. This will help you get an idea and adjust to when you should eat or sleep. Next, find out if it will be daylight or nighttime when you arrive. If it will be daylight do what you can to keep yourself awake on the plane, if it is nighttime try to take a nap. Items to help you sleep on the plane can include: bringing your own blanket, your fantastic pillow from home, eye mask, and ear plugs. Also, eat as if you were already there. You want to start as soon as possible to act like you are already there, Jet Lag doesn’t just affect your sleeping schedule it affects your digestive schedule as well. Even snacking on the plane if you are not super hungry will help you out a lot.
Natural Light: Natural light will help your body adjust to the time zone change as well, so it is best to remain active when you first get there. Go explore and do outside activities especially on the first day. If you feel like you must take a nap, only take a 30 minute one since anything longer will make the jet lag worse. If you are on a business trip and don’t have time to do outdoor activities, try to take a brisk walk, even opening the curtains in your hotel room will help. The point is to get the most amount of sunlight you can.
Melatonin: It is not a bad idea to bring some Melatonin with you on your trip. Melatonin is a hormone that your body produces when you are ready to go to sleep. Taking Melatonin around the time you want to go to sleep (especially if it is earlier than your used to) will help you fall asleep to keep you in the changed time zone. This will also help to alleviate jet lag symptoms.
Exercise and Eating Schedule: Exercising early in the morning will help get your blood flowing and wake you up. It doesn’t have to be a hard core work out, just a brisk walk or jog will do the trick. Also, eating a high protein breakfast will help out a lot. At night, exercise is a good idea as well. A tough work out a few hours before you go to bed will help your body mellow down and allow you to fall asleep. Now as to your eating schedule, try to eat during eating times in the time zone you are in and not your normal schedule. The best thing to do when you first get there is to eat light meals until your digestive system can get used to your new schedule. Oh, and one last thing to remember, stay hydrated! If you are dehydrated it will most definitely affect your trip. Dehydration can give you stomach problems that can ruin your fun. Just be sure to drink a lot of water and try not to drink a ton of alcohol and caffeine, which I know can be hard especially if you are on vacation and all you want to do is have fun!
Traveling can be exhausting and take a major toll on you! Just by using a few of these simple steps you will notice a major difference in how you feel while traveling. Enjoy your adventures by feeling good and aware of everything going on around you, rather than feeling tired and bogged down.
Blog post author: Ali, Customer Service Rep