I Don't Do Jetlag- & maybe you don’t have to either.
Read Time:
4 mins 55 secs
We are blessed to travel to far-off lands and explore the beauty of this planet and all of her inhabitants. Sometimes pandemics get in the way and oftentimes people (especially Americans) don’t get the time off they deserve. Many also have to dig deep into their wallets to just barely afford this “luxury”. That’s why letting jetlag get the best of you on your travels is a waste of precious time and money.
Wait a minute, Kristen. You’re telling me jetlag is a choice??
Well, “choice” might not be the right word for it. It’s a possibility, that’s for sure, but I believe by making mindful choices in terms of preparation and effort it can be avoided. Actually, I know it can be avoided because I’ve done it. I just got back from Italy and have been to Japan, India, Isreal, and all over Europe multiple times, and thanks to mindful lifestyle practices, it’s never been an issue for me.
For the past 2 decades, I have been working on mastering my body. After all, as my buddy Buddha once said “Every human being is the author of his (HER) own health or disease”. This mastery means I give the orders and I expect my body to respond accordingly. But like a good boss, I need to give my body the tools and support it needs to meet my standards and live up to my expectations. I also fully honor my body’s own natural and innate needs. If you’re a client or have been following me for a while, the tools and support needed to avoid jetlag will look familiar to you because they are taken from the same playbook living a Voluptuous Life uses on a daily basis.
I want to jump right into the 8 tips for avoiding jetlag so if you’re new to Voluptuous Life I encourage you to follow my Instagram account for simple and effective strategies for stepping more fully into your personal power, health, and happiness. I am not a doctor and this blog is not medical advice: you agree to take responsibility for any of your own subsequent actions. Also, keep in mind that many doctors aren’t healthy by holistic standards and they know WAY more about pHARMaceuticals than the science of epigenetics and food as medicine. In life, always be discerning about whose strategies and advice are worth your effort and attention.
OK, Here we go!
Just because something is COMMON does not mean it is NORMAL or that it HAS TO happen to you too. Thinking common thoughts and doing common things will often get you common results. As Tony Robbins, says “raise your standards”. The Placebo Effect is mysterious but 100% real. Truly believing something will work can make something work. Conversely, the Nocebo effect is real too; thinking something can cause you harm can actually register a harmful effect in the body. I don’t believe jetlag is a problem/reality for me and in the past 20 years, it hasn’t been. Besides holding that belief as my truth, I also follow the strategies listed below.
Traveling is stressful for the body and airline flights add additional complications. Think about it. You start in a location where you’re comfortable or at least used to being, and some relatively short amount of time later you end up somewhere completely different. With this new place comes new allergens, new bacteria, new food, new beds, new sounds, new emotional concerns, etc. During flights, we travel at altitudes and speeds we are not accustomed to and our bodies are exposed to a minimal range of motion, recycled air, toxic blue light, and food and drinks that lack nutritional value and are full of toxins, chemicals, and sugars. We are also exposed to solar radiation (the CDC and the EPA, if you believe what they have to say…..claim the radiation from a cross country flight is less than that of a chest x-ray). Human bodies are adaptive- and healthier ones even more so- but all of these factors are still considered physical, mental, and emotional stressors. I prep my body by hydrating with pure spring or remineralized RO water and organic green juices BEFORE and AFTER my flights. Limiting sugars and eating lots of healthy vegetables also provide my body with the antioxidants it needs to recover from free radicals and remain in balance.
Speaking of no nutritional value, try to avoid alcohol on flights and the day before and after. It’s dehydrating and causes lots of inflammation, to say the least. Why not hold off until you’re at that Tuscan vineyard (or somewhere magically comparable) to enjoy the local quality libations.
On your flights, begin to mentally and physically adjust to the time zone you will be entering. If, for example, you leave midday but because of distance and time zone changes you will also land during daylight hours, try to sleep on the flight. That way when you arrive at your next destination you are ready for THEIR current time of day. If necessary, I use or avoid caffeine as well as natural sleep remedies accordingly, to manipulate my sleepiness/wakefulness. If it will be nighttime at your destination, try to stay awake for the majority of the flight. A well-timed short nap shouldn’t be too disruptive if your body is telling you you really need some sleep.
Sticking with the topic above you can also use/limit blue light accordingly. The artificial blue light that comes from our devices, manmade lighting, etc, is problematic for many reasons but in this case, it can affect your circadian rhythms. If you want to stay awake, go ahead and use your phone, watch a movie or use the overhead light. If you want to fall asleep, avoid blue light exposure as much as possible using quality blue-blocking glasses, or better yet, your sleep mask.
Connect to the sky as you are landing (or as soon as you can) by sungazing, moongazing, or stargazing. This affects your circadian rhythms helping your brain, hormones, and body to adjust to the new current time.
Connect to the earth or the ocean as soon as you can. Making physical contact with the earth (bare feet or bare skin) or swimming in the ocean gives you access to free electrons and negative ions (they act as antioxidants) which will help lower your levels of stress-induced inflammation and free radicals and even upregulate your happy hormones.
AND FINALLY
The more you treat your entire being with the love and respect it deserves- and the nourishment it needs- on a daily basis, the less of an impact travel stresses will have on you. Begin today by making ONE pivot. I know you already know one shift that feels long overdue for the benefit of your mental health and physical well-being. Make a commitment to begin shifting that behavior (get support to ensure your success), not just to prepare for future travels but because you and your everyday life at home deserve it.
BE #FullOfYourself
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Other topic-related resources to explore:
https://emfempowerment.com/airplane-radiation/
https://www.livescience.com/32865-how-much-radiation-are-you-exposed-to-during-a-cross-country-flight.html
https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/radiation/air_travel.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4378297/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8082002/
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/dehydration-exhaustion-and-gas-what-flying-on-an-airplane-does-to-your-body/
https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/sleep-blue-light
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/drinking-alcohol-plane-flight-effects_l_6247588de4b0e44de9c1e9cd
https://www.verywellhealth.com/how-to-adjust-to-a-new-time-zone-and-avoid-jet-lag-3014936
https://www.verywellhealth.com/circadian-rhythms-the-bodys-clock-2795928
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-prevent-jet-lag/