Life: How to avoid jet lag

Posted by admin on Feb 25, 2010 in Life | 6 comments

So several people have asked me to post about this since they wanted to know what I always call the jet lag secret. As a matter of fact I barely experience jet lag since I take several precautions when traveling through different time zones. A recent trip to China has proven to me that it works quite nicely. To clear up any confusions I want to say that it is probably not really possible to feel nothing at all but how I do things brings me quite close to it.

My assumptions:

• The mind is stronger than the body. If you can control your thoughts then you can control your body.
• Jet lag is 90% mind games.
• You are in charge of yourself.
• You are sitting relatively comfortable in your seat (remember John Wayne: no whining).
• You don’t hate flying.

So here are some recommendations:

• As soon as you sit in the plane set your clock to the time of the destination. Do this preferably before push-back so you can spend the time taxing to the runway staring at the new time and internalize it. This means that you tell yourself over and over what the new time is. This might creep the person next to you out but it will help you focus on what comes next.
• Once you have “understood” the new time act accordingly. If it is in the afternoon then the meal they are about to serve will be you dinner. Tell yourself that it is dinner and that you are going to sleep afterwards. A glass of wine might do the trick to get you in the right sleeping mood. (Drink responsibly – alcohol up there is much worse than on the ground). Plus, don’t forget to drink as much water as possible.
• Only sleep on eastbound travels. If you are flying against the sun (e.g. Europe to Asia or US to Europe) try to get as much sleep on the plane as possible. Buy a very comfy sleeping mask and good earplugs. Trying to fall asleep at least for a short time is very important for your body as it will make it easier to fight through the next day. Even if you only fall asleep for a very short time this will help you tremendously. The more you sleep on eastbound flights the better you will be able to perform in the next 2 days. If you are up for it you should get a business class or first class ticket.
• On westbound travels you should try to stay up throughout the whole flight. Keep yourself busy with movies, magazines, books, and whatever you can get your hands on. Going back in the galley to start a conversation with someone might also help to kill time. This has been more than interesting for me as the people you meet have great stories to tell. Flight attendants are also up for a nice talk as usually their job is rather uncommunicative. When you touch down stay up as late as you usually would. The last couple of hours are usually quite intense but very necessary to help you adjust as quickly as possible
• As soon as you arrive at your final destination start eating the next meal (e.g. if you arrive around morning hours eat breakfast). This is one of the most important points. The convince your body of the new time (you have looked at the watch a couple of more times) you have to give it something to work with. In this case its food and lots of water. Even if you don’t feel like eating at all bypass that feeling and chow down some food.
• Mentioned above is one more very, very, very, important point: drink lots and lots of water. Sitting in a plane for a long time will drain your body of any water in it and to make sure you feel well drink as much as you can.
• This might sound weird but as soon as you arrive at home or the hotel take a shower. This will not only make you feel better but will signal your body that its clean and ready now (this might be for going to bed or starting the day).
• In the coming days try to have the same routine as always. This means: regular meals, sleeping times as always, and lots of water. Also, try to look at any watch as often as possible.

I hope these small recommendations will help you on your next journey. Let me know if you have some additions or feedback.