Vacation Season Tip: Surviving Jet Lag
By Stepy Kamei
When we finally get to that time of the year when we can embark on a wonderful and well-deserved vacation, there's one thing which always seems to come along for the ride -- jet lag -- and it's less than a welcome visitor. Even if you're traveling for business, jet lag can still have a negative impact on your body and mind. Jet lag can cause problems in the day of or after returning home, or it can affect you throughout your entire trip. If you want to be able to enjoy your vacation or be productive during your business trip without having to deal with the woes of jet lag, you'll want to be prepared with some simple tips and tricks to keep you going in the face of travel-induced fatigue.
Plan Ahead and Prepare
If you're able to choose your flight time, aim to book a flight which allows for an early evening arrival at your destination. Health and wellness experts recommend you do your best to stay awake until about 10 p.m. local time before hitting the sack and getting in sync with the new time change. If the time change will be pretty drastic, you may want to start preparing your body a few days ahead of time by going to bed earlier, at home, if you're traveling east, or later if you're heading west.
Drink Up (Water Only)
It will be tempting to turn to coffee cup after coffee cup throughout your trip, but your best bet is to stick with water as much as you can. Generally, we already have a hard time staying hydrated in our everyday lives, and traveling can make it that much harder to prevent dehydration. One of the key symptoms of dehydration is fatigue, so do your body a favor and drink water often during your trip.
Stick to a Healthy Diet
Consuming meals which are high in protein and fiber content can help give you the energy you need to power through the first few potentially tiring days of your trip. It'll be easier to turn to fast food and convenient meals, but do your best to eat healthy for a smoother trip overall.
Get Sun Time In
As long as the weather -- and your schedule -- permits doing so, get outside as often as you can. When the body is exposed to sunlight, it gets a boost of Vitamin D, which can increase energy levels in an organic and healthy manner. It can also improve your mood, so you can enjoy your trip even more. Try to schedule most of your activities or meetings in outdoor settings if you can.
Follow these tips, and your trip should be smooth, painless and drowsy-free.