How do you deal with jet lag?
Share your experiences in the comments!
There’s the good, the bad and the ugly about international travel. The good? New experiences and exciting places, fabulous food and wine, and lots of learning. The bad? Perhaps long lines, full flights, and security are your least favorites, like they are mine. The ugly? For many, jet lag is the unwelcome gift that keeps on giving.
According to the CDC, jet lag is caused by a mismatch between a person’s normal daily rhythms and a new time zone. It is a temporary sleep problem that usually occurs when you travel across more than three time zones. Practically, this can mean sleepless nights and flagging energy when you arrive at your destination.
If you’re concerned, there are websites full of tips and information about dealing with jet lag, but here’s what’s worked for me for the last 30 years.
I follow my own rules and with the exception of flying to Australia, have rarely experienced the effects of jet lag. I always have a glass or two of wine on the plane (and perhaps one at the airport before takeoff). I may watch a movie before sleeping a few hours. When I get to my destination and check in at a hotel, I immediately go out for a long walk, exploring the neighborhoods, the countryside—wherever I am lucky enough to land. Sometimes I may need to go to a business meeting right away—whatever it is – and after 30 years of international business travel, I found that keeping busy helps eliminate or reduce the effects of jet lag. I avoid naps, have a great dinner and then go to bed at night, as I would if I were at home.
I recognize that we’re all different. And just like everything else in life, we all react differently to different situations. What works for you might not work for me, and vice versa.
Knowing we’re all different, we’d love to hear—how do you deal with (or avoid) jet lag?
Comment below: How do you deal with jet lag?
Global Recipe: Lentil, Butternut Squash & White Bean Soup
This hearty, warming soup is perfect for chilly winter days! Green lentils maintain their firm texture in soup, making them ideal for this recipe. If you don’t have butternut squash, use your favorite winter squash (acorn, Kabocha, delicata, and more!)
Travel to Costa Rica with Oldways
June 4-11, 2023
Have you always dreamed of visiting Costa Rica and weren’t sure where to go or how to organize your trip? Join us, and we’ll experience three very different parts of this beautiful country: city, rain forest, and the Pacific coast. Plus, we’ll travel with three experts for culinary and nutritional insights during our stay: Walter Willet, DrPh, of the Harvard School of Public Health; Chef Tom Berry, and Hannia Campos, PhD, who grew up in Costa Rica, and has returned to live there after her long career at Harvard.
Great advice. And to add on that -I've been travelling 100s of times for work and leisure (both business and economy class). Drinking plenty of water before, during and after a long flight always helped me minimizing jetlag effects.
This is good advice, and I find I am of a similar mind when I travel. Especially the wine on the plane and to sleep a bit there--if you can--and the notion of hitting the ground running. Go right out and do something, both to get your body clock in the new time groove but also to see the incredible new place you get to explore.