Traveling across the world can be one of the most exciting journeys that a person can undertake. You explore new cultures and step outside of your comfort zone which does a great deal to your overall outlook on life.
This isn’t to say that it doesn’t come without its challenges, however. When you go to a new part of the planet you enter a new time zone. Your body goes through a confused state trying to differentiate day and night through a process which is called jet lag. Although relatively harmless, it can cause discomfort, confusion, and fatigue. In order to enjoy your trip and beat the jet lag as early on as possible, try the following tips.
Avoid Alcohol For The First Few Days
It is important to try to remain as healthy as possible in order to give your body the proper tools it needs to be able to overcome jet lag. Therefore, arriving at your destination and drinking heavily isn’t the best way to give your body the rest that it needs.
Give yourself time to adjust and try to stay calm without overexerting yourself. By going too fast too soon you risk running yourself on empty at a rapid rate. After a few days of taking it easy you can eventually start engaging in your normal activities, but for the beginning make sure that you take it slowly.
Force Yourself To Stay Awake
When you arrive at a new place which makes your day and night completely swap each other out, you may have the urge to sleep during the day. However, this is the worst thing that you can do for your adjustment into the new time zone.
However difficult it might be, make yourself try to stay awake during these periods when the rest of the people around you are in daytime mode. The more you give into your old time zone, the longer it will take you to adjust to the new one. The best bet is charging through with coffee and doing things that keep your mind alert.
Take Supplements
You may want to consider taking a supplement called melatonin which is a homeopathic sleep remedy that you can take when you don’t feel tired. Taking this when it is nighttime in your new location but feels like daytime in your body will help ease you into the new time zone. There are also many supplements that are predominantly used for other things, such as supplement nmn for anti-aging purposes, that can help suppress jet lag symptoms.
In more extreme cases for people that have a harder time sleeping, you may want to take sleeping pills prescribed to you by your doctor.
Try To Stick To Your Routine
Try to stick to your normal routine as much as possible. If you usually wake up at 10, continue to do so, as well as going to bed at your normal time as well. This will make the process much easier to endure.
