5 Effective Ways to Cope With Jet Lag for the Frequent Flyer
Jet lag is the term used to describe the physiological response that happens when a person travels across time zones without being able to adjust their natural circadian rhythm.
This may last for several days before being able to fully adjust to the new time zone, and can be an issue for people who cross time zones on a regular basis, such as airline pilots, crew, and even frequent flyers. There
Fortunately, there are ways to cope or even overcome jet lag and adjust to your rapidly-changing time zones, such as the following:
1. Set your watch to the time zone of your destination.
Preparing yourself for the new time zone is a good way to cope with jet lag. As soon as you set foot in the plane, set your watch to the local time zone of your new destination and follow that specific time zone.
The challenge here is being able to stay awake and fall asleep when it’s daylight or nighttime, depending on where your plane is currently flying.
2. Don’t fill yourself up.
Airplane food can affect the intensity of your jet lag, and carbohydrate-rich foods can make it difficult for you to stay awake. However, you take advantage of this to make you fall asleep if you need to quickly match the time zone of your destination.
Don’t drink any alcohol or coffee, either – alcohol and caffeine can have quite toxic effects when you’re in the upper atmosphere. Go for water and fruit juice instead if you need to replenish on fluids.
3. Don’t make it too hard on yourself for the first few days.
Once you get to your destination, give yourself at least one day to slowly adjust to the time zone. Because it takes a lot of effort and no specific time period (as different people can take longer or shorter periods of time to adjust), it may take longer than just one day to do this.
Feeling tired and listless is normal during this time, as your body is trying to adjust to your new environment and time zone. Start by going out for short walks if you feel the need to do any physical activity.
You should also be especially wary of using sleeping pills. Even though they can help a lot, there is a good chance that it may actually worsen the jet lag.
4. Control the lights.
The most in-depth process when it comes to combatting jet lag also happens to be one of the most effective. Seeking out and avoiding exposure to light at certain times of the day can help you adjust your body clock faster, and there are even apps that can help you out with this.