The idea of taking business trips to various destinations around the globe may sound enviable – to anybody who hasn’t done it. The reality of it often involves very little sight-seeing, mostly due to heavy travel exhaustion that leaves you craving for nothing more than a comfortable bed after a business meeting. Being aware of the cultural attractions you’re missing out on can also be frustrating and make you feel even worse. Read on to discover some suggestions about how to battle jet lag on business trips to far-off destinations.
Before You Fly
Rule number one when travelling over long distances is being aware of whether you will be travelling east or west. Your preparation should begin a couple of days before you fly. If you’re going to travel east, you should train yourself to go to bed earlier and rise earlier in the morning. If you are heading west, on the other hand, the opposite rule applies, so you should stay up later in the night and sleep longer in the morning.
Many people like to stock up on fatty supplies right before they fly by eating hearty meals, however, this is precisely the time you should avoid them. The exhaustion of travelling itself is usually too taxing on the body for you to add the need to break down heavy food.
In the Air
From the moment you get on the plane, your task is to begin adjusting to the local time of your destination, to ensure minimum physical shock when you arrive. It is a good idea to set your watch to the destination’s time and behave as if you were already in that zone. If your arrival is in the morning, for instance, it is a good idea to sleep on the plane to ensure your batteries will be sufficiently charged to last you a full day.
Speaking of sleeping on a plane, as most frequent travellers will know, this is not so easy a task as imagined. Your seat is often small and uncomfortable, you are surrounded by loud noises and exposed to the occasional turbulence. To increase your comfort and chances of sleep on the plane, you could opt for a window seat and put your pillow against the window.
Layovers
Layovers for prolonged periods of time only add to the exhaustion, however you can also use them to your advantage. If the airport has shower rooms, it is a good idea to take advantage of a refreshing wash. Also advisable are walks to take in some fresh air. If you need to catch up on some sleep this is also a convenient place to do so. Again, remember not to eat heavy meals before your connecting flight.
After You Land
Once your feet touch local ground, you should do your best to live on local time. If you arrive in the daytime, try not to go to sleep immediately, even if you feel exhausted, because this will disrupt your sleep at night. A good way to keep yourself awake is to take an invigorating walk, which also lends an opportunity to get to know the place.
Peace of Mind with the Right Business Travel Insurance
Apart from training your biological clock from early on, another consideration you should bear in mind in your travel preparation is peace of mind – and, when travelling, this means investing in the best business travel insurance. Knowing that you’re safe and covered is definitely a beneficial factor to staying relaxed and in good physical health while you’re away.
Patrick Chong is the Managing Director of InsureMore, an award-winning team of specialists in global single trip, family, annual and business travel insurance policies. Besides offering great deals on travel insurance, Patrick also collects and shares the best free travel competitions to help his clients get the most out of their holidays.
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