You might spend your whole life dreaming about the places you want to visit around the world. When you finally save up the money and make the time to travel, you hope that reality is even more magical than your imagination. Flying has become the number one way to visit far-flung destinations, but it comes with one potential downside, jet lag. What happens if you finally touch down in Istanbul only to fall asleep while sitting down for your first kebab? If you want to avoid this unfortunate circumstance, here are the tips and tricks you need to prevent jet lag.
Practice Self-Care in the Air
What you do on the airplane has an impact on whether or not you’ll succumb to jet lag, so it’s important to practice self-care in the air. Don’t skip basic hygiene steps such as brushing your teeth, combing your hair, putting on deodorant, and washing your face. Sticking to your routine will help you convince your mind and body that it’s time to rest. Bring plenty of moisturizers for your hands, face, and body, and pack a few key essential oils to boost relaxation while in flight.
When you know you need to sleep but can’t shut your eyes, dab a few drops of lavender essential oil on your wrists and neck. On the other hand, if you need an extra oomph to help you feel awake, spearmint or eucalyptus can provide an invigorating element. It’s best to choose good quality products such as authentic Young Living Essential Oils for your journey.
Eat Around the Clock
The next thing to remember while you’re traveling from one airport to the next is that you have to eat around the clock. While you’re at home, your body is used to a certain schedule of when to eat and when to rest. When you’re traveling, you have to reset your internal clock, which isn’t always easy.
By eating meals at regular intervals throughout your journey, you are sending your body the message that it’s perpetual daytime. Even if you do this for 48 hours while crossing half the world, it can help you adjust to the local timezone when you land. While you don’t have to finish every morsel of food in front of you, try to nibble on healthy foods every two to four hours during your entire journey.
Focus on Hydration
Along with regular snacking and meals, make sure that you drink plenty of healthy fluids while you travel. Dehydration is a major culprit when it comes to fatigue, and traveling in an airplane is a surefire way to increase dehydration. From the processed air to the altitude, your body faces an uphill battle when it comes to staying hydrated.
Water is going to be your savior while you travel. Take an empty reusable water bottle with you when you go through security at the airport and then fill it up whenever you can. You can even ask the flight attendants to give you extra water in your bottle instead of just in those tiny plastic cups they have on trays.
Make sure to avoid excessive caffeine and alcohol when you’re traveling by plane. While one or two cups of either won’t do too much harm, if you overindulge, you will only add to the factors that make you dehydrated. It’s a recipe for a more intense jet lag experience.
Balance Sleep and Activity
It’s tempting to want to sleep for most of your journey, but too much rest can have the opposite effect on your ability to stay awake at your destination. Oversleep can make you feel groggy, and if you’re sleeping when it’s nighttime in your original location but daytime at your destination, this will cause problems for you once you land. Make sure to strike a balance between sleep and activity. Walk around the airplane every few hours, and take advantage of layovers to explore a new airport.
When you land at your destination, do everything you can to embrace the local time zone. Stay up if it’s daytime, and sleep if you arrive at night. It may be easier to land a little tired and stay up for a few hours than arrive with a ton of energy at 2 AM local time.
Jet lag can ruin the first impression you get of a place you’ve dreamed of visiting. Use these tips and tricks to have a seamless transition from home to holiday.
