The Human Condition – RTWDNB Day 22

Describing the Mood – RTWDNB Day 22

Rhyme or Rhythm – RTWDNB Day 22

Writer’s Block – RTWDNB Day 2

• 1. Arrive At The Airport Early. Not rushing will help reduce stress and make you more relaxed. Don’t depart exhausted or hungover and plan to “catch up on the plane.”


• 2. Begin Adjusting To The New Time Zone And Schedule. Onboard, set your watch to destination time. I suggest not watching too many movies, but rather listening to audiobooks or music, so your eyes get more rest.


• 3. Sleep As Much As You Can On the Plane. If you can, go to sleep immediately—as soon as the plane pulls away from the terminal and cuts off fresh air until takeoff (a natural sleep-inducer). Personally, I find it very difficult to sleep on planes, but I get as close to it as possible, by wearing a track suit, curling up with a pillow and closing my eyes. Resting as much as possible is crucial to a comfortable transition. If you have a bedtime routine, do it on the plane as well. Brushing your teeth, washing your face and reading can really set the internal mood to rest. Pillows, eye mask and noise-canceling headphones are important helpers.


• 4. Wear Comfortable clothing. I wear flight socks and a track suit with a hoodie every flight.


• 5. Drink Plenty of Water. Not tea, not soda, not juice, not alcohol, not caffeine, but Water. The humidity in many airliners is no more than 3%. That is dry as a desert. This also affects your sinuses and skin, but the water helps them too. For my sinuses, I usually take a nose spray as well. Pure salt water. On a long flight, I drink about a gallon of water to remain hydrated. I would suggest around 8 ounces of water. You can’t count on getting this much water from the flight attendants, so plan on bringing your own. Bring a large water bottle. Drinking loads of water is actually one of the most important tips, as it hydrates the body and replenishes the body, mind and soul.


• 6. Get Up and Stretch Frequently. By rule of thumb, I get up every hour or so for 5 min or 2 hours for 15. I walk around a little and then do some standard stretches I know from basketball or yoga. The exercises they recommend in the in-flight magazine work just fine as well. If you have a stopover, I strongly recommend taking a shower, for circulation.


• 7. Avoid Alcohol. Drinking alcohol before or during the flight will give you more jet lag. It increases jet lag symptoms by dehydrating you and by slowing the adjustment of your circadian rhythm (body clock). It is best to avoid alcohol from 12 hours before the flight until you’re at your destination.


• 8. Avoid Caffeine. Like alcohol, caffeine both dehydrates and also slows your body-clock’s adjustment. This will give you more jet lag symptoms.


• 9. Use a Footrest. I always go for exit row seats as I am super tall and need the space to stretch my legs out. But for more regular sized people, I suggest using the foot rest to elevate the legs and take some of the strain out of the legs and back.


• 10. Pills and Supplements. I strongly advise against them as they are dangerous and unnecessary. Water has more of a healing and anti jetlag power than anything else out there. A report in England’s Lancet medical journal blames 18 percent of long-haul deaths on blood clots to the lungs—and sleeping pills induce a comatose state with little natural body movement (therewith reducing circulation and thus increasing the chance of clotting).

Also, once you have landed, start eating and sleeping on the new schedule. Studies prove that body clocks can also be shifted with exposure to bright light; Dr. Martin Moore-Ede, professor at Harvard Medical School, recommends you expose yourself to bright daylight, without sunglasses, for at least fifteen minutes as soon as you can. Meanwhile, the Mayo Clinic recommends early-morning and late-afternoon exercise to help resynchronize your clock. Personally, I take a shower as soon as I get in to the hotel and go for a walk in the fresh air.

Walking barefoot on the ground at your destination; swimming in the ocean; or taking an Epsom-salt bath all help to ground your electromagnetic system. Personally, I like to get a massage the day I get in towards the end of the day.