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Let’s face it, even though traveling can be fun: new scenery, new place to sleep, new food to try, new faces to see, new environment to explore, it also comes with its share of hassle and stress like, disturbed sleep, dry skin, dehydration, swelling ankles and tired eyes to mention just a few. Especially, when traveling through different time zones, it can really throw your internal body clock out of sync, causing jet lag. For example, did you know that flying from New York to Los Angeles alone, you travel through three different time zones? Crazy, right? So for me, in order to alleviate the travel fatigue, I make sure to prepare beforehand with a few essentials that ensure a much calmer and relaxing getaway. Here are some of the things that are always in my traveling pouch (really liking this one) that I bring and use to help alleviate jet lag.
1. First thing first, I make sure to buy me a vitamin juice or water to drop in my airborne tablet (a staple in my house and my travel bag) as soon as I pass security check. It serves a triple purpose: a) it boosts your immune system to help ward off all the recirculated germs of all the sneezing and hacking that inevitably happens once the door of the plane closes shut, b) keeps you hydrated and, c) causes you to leave your seat more often (to hit the bathroom) which is good for circulation, hence, keeping those feet and joints from swelling up.
2. Scented hydration. My favorite one is rosewater which I use to keep my skin and hair hydrated and to freshen that stale dry airplane air around me. Additionally, as the dryness can cause cracked lips, it’s essential to keep lips moisturized. I alternatively use this one or this one. I have other favorites listed here.
3. A good book to read (thinking of this one for this upcoming trip) is always a great mental distractor. It keeps me from remembering that I essentially am in a germ incubator in the sky. {Insert the face with the medical mask emoji here}. Better yet, depending on the mood, sometimes I just put on some tunes using these earphones, slip my feet into these moisturizing calming cuddly socks, put on a sleeping mask and cover myself with my scented scarf (mentioned in #4) for a couple of hours of zzzzz’s.
4. To allay flight anxiety, I normally pack a couple of chamomile tea bags with me, or sometimes I create my own calming blend by combining 2 drops of lavender oil and 2 drops of geranium oil in 1 tablespoons of water in a spray bottle to spray on the scarf that I use to cover myself on the plane.
5. Lastly, I rely on the following 4 scented essential oils to help me stay awake when I arrive and get a good night’s sleep at the end of my day. How, you ask? Well, it’s been proven and I can attest to this fact that using a combination of natural essential oils in a bath or shower can help you adapt to a new time zone. More details on that can be found here on page 399.
A) To stay awake during the day
In your shower gel, mix in 2 drops of peppermint oil + 2 drops of eucalyptus oil.
B) For a good night’s sleep
In a different shower gel jar, add 2 drops of geranium oil + 2 drops of lavender oil.
The beauty about these essential oils is that they come in very small bottles that can be carried in your purse or if you’re into flamingos, this one is a great choice. But if you’re like me, it’s most likely that you’d prepare both shower gels ahead of time at home – labeling each bottle ‘day shower gel and night shower gel’ to keep in your travel pouch. How about you? Do you have any other travel tips to keep yourself from feeling jet lagged after a long vacation or business trip? Please share in the comment box below the post.