Nothing puts a damper on a fabulous vacation or busy out of town work week like jet lag. Being tired when you’d rather be alert and productive, or even just awake, can make even the simplest tasks that much more difficult. Here are some tips to help facilitate that adjustment period.
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1. Plan Ahead
You already know you’ll be going out of town and messing with your schedule, so adjust your current schedule accordingly. Instead of having a crazy, stressful week, try to pack a light itinerary so that you can run all the errands you need to run and pack your bags with plenty of time to spare. Also, make sure you know where your travel needs and carry on pillow and sleep mask are so that you can pack them in a place you can easily access on the plane. Try to get some rest that week so that you’re able to show up at the airport and start your trip on the right foot.
2. Cut Yourself Some Slack
On the plane, take advantage of the alone and unplugged time to catch up on some sleep and read all the books and magazines you’ve been too busy to get to. Work will always be there, and will certainly wait until you land. However, if you’re too stressed and tired to function once you’re back on land, you won’t be able to fully relax, have fun, or work, so the best thing to do is to take it easy and rest during your flight. Be sure to stretch and hydrate regularly too!
3. Push Through
Once you land, try to jump in head first into the local time zone. If you can stay awake until the locals are going to bed, that would be the best thing to do to help you acclimate to the time change. Also, frequent travelers swear that getting a solid dose of local sunshine helps to reset that circadian clock to local time.
4. Make Yourself at Home
Whenever you’re on an extended vacation or work trip, make your surroundings as home-like as possible. PC Housing is a great resource for the regular traveler, and with plenty of locations available across North America, it’s easy to feel at home wherever you are. This will allow you to fully relax and recover from even a global flight.