There is nothing more enriching than travel. Travel opens your mind to new ideas, cultures and ways of living. But while travel adds so much to your life, it paradoxically also kind of sucks the life out of you. If you travel a lot, especially across oceans, being a smart traveler really helps. There’s a lot I’m conscious of before, during and after reaching my destination. Planning myself well helps averse extreme jet lag and fatigue. Here are a few simple things I am mindful of when I travel.
Living well
It’s so important to just simply be relaxed before travelling. Eating healthy, balanced meals, exercising and sleeping well before a flight help make my journey more enjoyable. I used to have major anxiety issues before travel and I’d always forget to pack something. I now always make a checklist and maintain my nerves by treating every trip as an adventure. If something goes off plan, I make light of it by reveling in the thrill of the unknown. Just sit back, relax and enjoy the ride!
Staying hydrated
Traveling can really dehydrate you inside-out. I guzzle down water like it’s going out of style! Dehydration is the most common cause of fatigue which can so easily be averted. I also keep my skin moisturized by keeping small tubes of cream handy in my purse.
Setting your body clock
I try to tune my body clock to the new time zone in advance. Working backwards or forwards even by just a couple of hours can make a huge difference. What also helps is I can sleep just about anywhere and I sleep especially well on flights. It’s almost as if a sleep inducer is switched on along with the air pressure balance! Hahaha! In all seriousness though, the neck pillow has got to be my hottest investment! Get yourself one today, and throw in an eye mask and ear plugs if you’re sensitive to light and sound.
Coffee
Coffee is key! Sometimes the need to avoid it if you need to sleep through a night flight. I just power through those couple of hours at the airport until I can zone out. And sometimes I need to guzzle down a couple of espresso shots to kick in to a new time zone. Think this one through!
Don’t knock out until bedtime
Those gigantic hotel beds are so inviting at any hour of the day! But resist the urge to take a nap until it’s bed time. You might feel a bit sluggish on the first day but it will definitely set you right for the rest of your trip.
And if everything fails, and you still feel the hard effects of jet lag, just shrug it off. It’s a very small price to pay for the joys and thrills that travel bring!
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