Jet Lag Nightmare
Business travel is exhausting, even for relatively short trips. The airport process, dealing with delays, handling baggage, finding transportation in the destination city, and getting to meetings are far more stressful than what you’re used to when conducting business at home. But when you add in the problems caused by jet lag, you’re facing physical discomfort that almost feels like you’re sick as your body reacts to the long-distance journey.
Therefore, it’s a good idea to have some techniques ready to use to prevent jet lag when you travel internationally or across multiple time zones. Yes, you can experience jet lag just by traveling from the east coast to the west coast domestically. Jet lag stems from the time zone change and the adjustments your body must make to cope with the new time cycle in that time zone.
We don’t realize it, but our bodies are finely tuned to function optimally in our home time zone. Our biological clocks are tuned to react to the time of day, the day-night cycle, environmental factors, and the local magnetic field. We have internal monitors that tell us when to sleep or be active based on these internal clocks.
When we travel to a new time zone, while our minds feel strange because the time is different and out of sync with what we’re used to, our bodies undergo quite dramatic adjustments to adapt to the new environment. That’s why in a new time zone, you might not be able to sleep when it’s 11 p.m. where you’re located because, to your body, it might be noon or the next morning.
Symptoms of jet lag include fatigue, loss of appetite, irritability, and even mild nausea, stemming from a disrupted internal system. Therefore, the best remedy for jet lag is proper preparation so you can adapt to the change in location without too much anxiety. By reducing the effects of jet lag before it occurs, you increase the likelihood of your business meetings being successful.
Start adjusting well in advance. If you can adjust to your destination’s time zone a few days in advance, jet lag will be less severe. Start adjusting your sleep and meal times even before your trip begins so you’re already “in the time zone” before you travel.
Maintain a healthy diet. Jet lag experts recommend significantly simplifying your diet a few days before your trip. Start reducing the amount of heavy foods, carbohydrates, sugar, and fat in your diet and increase the amount of fruits, vegetables, and juices you consume. This will make your body more agile and able to adapt to changes.
Give yourself time at your destination. Try to arrive the day before your meeting so you have time in your hotel room to rest and prepare for achieving your business goals.
Eliminate sources of physical stress. During stressful times, try to reduce physical stressors like drinking alcohol or extreme physical exercise so your body has more reserves to deal with the symptoms of jet lag.
By thinking about jet lag in advance, you are taking the necessary steps to eliminate threats to the success of your business goals on this trip. Therefore, your efforts to eliminate jet lag from your business travel equation are a good business move and will result in more successful travel for you and your company.