{"id":7662,"date":"2024-05-28T16:58:16","date_gmt":"2024-05-28T20:58:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/7-ways-to-beat-jet-lag-and-make-the-most-of-your-trip\/"},"modified":"2024-05-28T16:58:16","modified_gmt":"2024-05-28T20:58:16","slug":"7-ways-to-beat-jet-lag-and-make-the-most-of-your-trip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/7-ways-to-beat-jet-lag-and-make-the-most-of-your-trip\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Ways to Beat Jet Lag and Make the Most of Your Trip"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Profit<\/a>
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My flight landed in Hong Kong at 8pm. Two hours later, my friends and I were at a rowdy Kowloon restaurant eating spicy food and shaking off the cross-Pacific cobwebs. <\/span><\/p>\n

A few hours later, I woke up at 4 a.m., my normal time. I hit the gym and met my friends for breakfast. Then it was off for a quick walk through a local market and back to the airport for a flight to Thailand. <\/span><\/p>\n

The next two days were fine. Then jet lag hit. Hard. (The afternoon poolside drinks didn\u2019t help.) I crashed at 6 p.m., giving my friends the opportunity to take pictures for future blackmail. <\/span><\/p>\n

Jet lag can be a major nuisance. You might have been able to push through it 10 or 20 years ago\u2014possibly using a \u201cyoung person\u201d approach\u2014but no longer.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I first became a professional traveler,\u201d writes Andrew Harper, the famed reviewer of luxury hotels, \u201cI dealt with jet lag the old-fashioned way, which is to say that I drank a few Old Fashioneds (or the equivalent) on the plane, popped a mild sedative, and knocked myself out for most of the flight.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As we age, however, Harper admits that jet lag becomes harder to avoid. He no longer goes about it the old-fashioned way; \u201cnew age\u201d preparation is now his go-to method for avoiding the loss of a few days of travel to exhaustion.
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I\u2019m with Harper. And while the secrets I\u2019m about to share for defeating jet lag are not all that sexy, they work. So no more excuses about hampered productivity on work trips abroad or vacation days lost to bad travel prep. <\/span><\/p>\n

Use these 7 tips and you\u2019ll be set the moment you get off the plane.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Don\u2019t order booze on your flight<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s far more memorable to enjoy a nightcap in Bar Hemingway at the Hotel Ritz in Paris than on American Airlines flight 44 from NYC to Charles De Gaulle.<\/span><\/p>\n

Even if it\u2019s a special occasion, like an anniversary trip, save the bubbly for when you get to the hotel\u2014not for runway revelry. <\/span><\/p>\n

To be clear: Don\u2019t just \u201climit\u201d your alcohol intake on the flight. <\/span>You must strictly avoid it.<\/span> While alcohol might help you fall asleep on the plane, the quality of that sleep is not good and it certainly won\u2019t help you navigate international customs upon arrival. <\/span><\/p>\n

Stick to water or juice.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Pause the caffeine<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

One essential rule of good sleep hygiene is to stop caffeine intake 10 hours before bed. That\u2019s the average length of time your body needs to metabolize the drug\u2019s effect (and yes, caffeine is a drug). If you drink a cup of coffee or energy drink too close to bedtime, it becomes difficult to fall asleep, stay asleep, and get deep, restful sleep. <\/span><\/p>\n

So no coffee midair, okay? You can get back on coffee time as soon as you see daylight (or land) from the airplane windows. But until it becomes \u201cmorning\u201d on your journey, stick to water, juice, and herbal tea only. <\/span><\/p>\n

3. Sleep through it<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

Every summer, I attend the SovereignAcademy.org event in Lithuania. It\u2019s four days of teaching young entrepreneurs and trying to keep up with their partying at night (I fail miserably here). It\u2019s an amazing weekend and I need to be well-rested for it, so I look forward to getting a decent night\u2019s sleep on the flight from Toronto to Vilnius.<\/span><\/p>\n

As soon as the plane takes off, I set my watch to Lithuania time, the eyeshades go on, earplugs go in, the seat reclines, and I tell the attendants not to wake me. While six hours of sleep through turbulence and the clanging cutlery of meal service don\u2019t make for the best night\u2019s rest, it\u2019s better than eating a late dinner, watching a movie, and napping for two hours. <\/span><\/p>\n

Now I know a lot of people struggle to sleep on planes, but here are a couple of tips that might help:<\/span><\/p>\n

a) Sleep like a local<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. M. Rizwan Sohail of the Mayo Clinic offers this advice:<\/span> \u201cIf you\u2019re traveling east, go to bed one hour earlier each night for a few days before you leave. If you\u2019re traveling west, go to bed an hour later for several nights. Adjust your meal schedule accordingly, too. And make sure you\u2019re well-rested before you go, because starting a trip with too little sleep will make jet lag worse.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

b) Choose flight times wisely<\/span><\/p>\n

Put an early bird like me on an 8 p.m. flight to Europe and I\u2019m sleeping like a baby in 30 minutes (assuming we have an on-time departure). <\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a night owl, take the latest flight out so it\u2019s as easy as possible for you to get some shut-eye. That means you\u2019ll arrive (in Europe) closer to noon, and that also makes it easier for you to stay up and adjust to a local bedtime on your first night. <\/span><\/p>\n

c) Choose your plane wisely<\/span><\/p>\n

Older planes were not built for jet lag-fighting flyers. The cabin air is dry and the pressure is not the same as what we experience on land. As a result, the environment leaves us tired, even if we manage to sleep overnight.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, the Airbus 350 and Boing 787 Dreamliner were engineered to \u201cpump the highest pressure, which actually makes conditions on the plane feel more like those found on the ground,\u201d according to the website Boarding Area. \u201cThey also offer higher humidity, which does less damage to your ears, nose, and throat\u2014which helps prevents fatigue. New planes also filter air in safer ways, offering actual air, rather than engine air.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Stay awake when you land<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

Don\u2019t try to cram in a visit to EuroDisney, a trip up the Eiffel Tower, and a five-star meal at Le Cirque on day one in Paris. Instead, here\u2019s what to do\u2026 <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe cheapest and least complicated way to tackle jet lag,\u201d says Dr. Sohail, \u201cis to force yourself to stay awake when it\u2019s daytime wherever you land, then end the day tuckered out, so you\u2019ll sleep most of the night.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

After you get to your destination, avoid the temptation to \u201cjust lie down for a minute\u201d on your comfy hotel room bed. Instead, put on your walking shoes and get outside to take in some culture (hopefully in sunshine).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cExposure to bright light when you arrive at your destination can help your body adjust its circadian rhythm to your new schedule,\u201d says Dr. Sohail. \u201cFor example, if you travel east, exposure to sunlight or other bright light in the morning can help you adapt. If you travel west, seek out light in the evening.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Still struggling? Change your state. Have a cold shower. Take a plunge in the pool. Hit the gym. Get a vigorous massage in the spa. Do anything but lie down for a quick nap in the middle of the day. <\/span><\/p>\n

Lastly, Andrew Harper recommends self-administered acupressure. I\u2019m no expert on this, but you can read more here<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Eat like a local<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

<\/b>Finally, some good news! When you land, it\u2019s time to start eating like a local and adjusting to a regular mealtime as soon as you can. It\u2019ll be all the more enjoyable to have a simple meal at a caf\u00e9 in Paris after skipping out on the so-called \u201cgourmet\u201d airline food. <\/span><\/p>\n

7. If all else fails, stick it out.<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

Roll with it. Do your best to grind it out until 7pm local time. Then crash. Sleep like a baby. Wake up at 6am and dominate your first \u201creal\u201d day abroad. <\/span><\/p>\n

But if you do give in to an afternoon nap and then find yourself struggling to sleep like a local on your first night, Dr. Sohail recommends over-the-counter sleep aids such as Tylenol PM or Advil PM. \u201cTaking a relatively low dose of melatonin\u00a0(0.5 milligrams) has also been shown to be effective,\u201d he adds.<\/span><\/p>\n

The most important lesson is to delay your gratification. Avoid the cheap temptations during your journey and it will make every meal and moment far more enjoyable when you reach your destination. <\/span><\/p>\n

P.S. If you have any tips you\u2019d like to add, I\u2019d love to hear them in the comments below. Bon voyage!<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what you need to keep your travel productive\u2026<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Sign up now<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0to get our FREE Morning Routine guide\u2014the #1 way to increase productivity, energy, and focus for profitable days. Used by thousands of fitness, business, and finance industry leaders to leapfrog the competition while making time for the people who really matter.\u00a0Learn more here.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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Craig Ballantyne<\/a><\/h3>\n
\"Craig<\/div>\n

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If you want to double your income, work less, and become the ambitious millionaire you’ve always wanted to be… Craig Ballantyne is the coach who will help you do it. With more than 20-years of experience as an entrepreneur and five 7-figure businesses under his belt, he specializes in helping “struckling” entrepreneurs get out of the mud and build the business of their dreams. To see if you qualify for Craig’s “Millionaire Coaching Program” send an email to support@earlytorise.com with the subject line “Millionaire”.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n