Nothing beats the thrill of exploring places that are far from home. Traveling to the other side of the world exposes you to different cultures and gives you experiences you’ll remember for years to come.
But returning home can be an adjustment. Without the right strategies, travel can disrupt your circadian rhythm, leading to jet lag, fatigue, or even illness. This results in time lost as you struggle to recover your rhythms.
Here are some tips to avoid jet leg and stay in rhythm even when you’re traveling.
(1) Live in Your Current Time Zone
It’s common to focus on what time it is in the “other” time zone. When you’re traveling, you’re constantly looking at the time in your home location; when you return you’re still on your travel destination time.
Here’s the thing: clock time is a mind game.
Your body doesn’t know what time it is. It only knows its rhythm, which is shaped by daylight and darkness.
The key is to focus your mind on what time it is where your body is. Adjust your activities to match what you would do in the time zone where you are.
(2) Maintain a Daily Routine — Even When You Travel
This step starts before you travel. In your normal daily life, create and maintain a daily routine, especially for your morning.
When you wake up at a consistent time each day and engage in the same morning routine, your body acclimates to that routine.
When you travel, maintain that routine as much as possible. You might want to scale things back — for example, my workouts when I travel are generally less intense than my workouts at home — but it’s the motions of the routine that help your body stay on its schedule.
(3) Use the Clock as a Cue For Your Routine
This is where you put your mind and body together. Remember: your body doesn’t know what time it is, but your mind does. Your body knows movement and actions.
Let clock time be your cue for what your body should do, based on your normal daily routine.
For example, if you arrive at your destination in the evening and that’s your typical workout time, then find a way to fit in a short workout once you arrive. But if you typically workout in the morning, save your workout for the following morning. Wake up at your normal time — don’t try to “catch up” on sleep.
If you arrive in the morning and that’s your typical workout time, do your workout before anything else. Get outside and in the sun, which will allow your body to adapt to the light.
TL;DR
Your body and its systems don’t know clock time. They operate on a circadian rhythm that is dependent for its cues on light, dark, and your typical activities. When you establish a daily routine and maintain your rhythms even during travel, you allow your body to naturally adapt, which minimizes jet lag.
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