You have probably suffered from jet lag at some point. Some of us have maybe more than others.
Jet lag is a state where your body’s own circadian rhythm basically doesn’t meet the new time difference. Especially when traveling through multiple time zones, some people might not even experience or notice the symptoms. Do you feel like you’re not one of these lucky ones? If so, then keep on reading!
Here are some tricks for you to use to prevent or mitigate jet lag. These are some of what I’ve noticed to be helpful for me. Also, since I fly a lot for a living, I’ve had my share of them, and I hope these tips will help you too.
1) Stay hydrated! This is probably the most important thing I cannot stress enough. Your body is consuming a lot of water during the flight so drinking it during the flight and after is very important. This helps the body to recover.
2) Avoid caffeine. Caffeine dehydrates your body which reverses the effects we want. You want to stay hydrated, and caffeine is not helping this. Also, it keeps you up, and it’s easier to adapt to the new time difference without it.
3) Manage the rhythm. If you arrive early in the morning at your destination, try to stay up until the evening. It’s easier to stay up and then get a good night’s sleep during the local night. If this seems impossible to you, have a small power nap before you head out. Sleeping too long, though, messes with the coming night, and you’ll be sure to be up at the wrong time. If you are lucky and your flight arrives in the evening, you can go straight to bed and wake up refreshed!
4) Exercising: If you are fit, it might be easier for you to recover from jetlag. Exercising also mildly helps when in the destination. It helps your body get more oxygen which is good! But let’s remember that I’m talking about mild exercise like walking, stretching, or yoga- you don’t want your heart to be overstressed!
5) Adapting. If you’re thinking of having a longer holiday, not a day or two, you can also try to adapt to the new time zone before the trip. Go to bed closer to the destination time and wake up earlier.
6) Power naps. If you feel super tired, you can have short power naps during the day on the flight. If you want to get into the new time zone faster, I will avoid long sleep periods.
7) Cut down on alcohol. Consuming alcohol doesn’t help the symptoms of jetlag. Vice versa, it dehydrates the body, and you might even feel worse later on.
Do you have any other helpful tips to share? Comment on below!
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Thanks for tip num 3. And 7. Those are somethings I should definitely cut off. All and all nice tips 😉.
Great! Thank you! 🙂