Missions Wednesday is a little bit late today. I had Monday off, and I got my days all mixed up. When I think about having my days all mixed up, I think about jet lag. Jet lag is a common experience for all world travelers, including missionaries, so for this Thursday edition of Missions Wednesday, I want to talk to you a little bit about jet lag and how to beat it.
What Is Jet Lag?
In order to best understand jet lag, it's easiest to compare it to how you live your life now. Your body is used to waking up at a certain time; being hungry for breakfast, lunch, and dinner at certain times; and finally being ready for bed at a certain time. Sometimes you'll hear this referred to as your body clock.
Well, if you travel to the other side of the world, what used to be lunch time is now in the middle of the night and what used to be time to get up in the morning is now time to eat dinner. Basically, jet lag is what happens when you take your body clock and make it adapt to a whole different time zone.
How Do You Get Jet Lag?
You're most likely to get jet lag when you travel to another time zone, usually ones that are far enough away that you're daily routine is displaced by several hours. You can actually give your self some of the symptoms of jet lag when you have to adjust to a new schedule or when you have to adjust to Daylight Savings Time.
Three Great Ways to Get Rid of Jet Lag
1. Adopt your new timezone before you get there. The trick to doing this is to set your watch to the timezone you'll be traveling to. This will confuse your stomach and your sleep schedule, so snacks and naps may help you get started as long as you don't over do it. It can be tricky to decide when to start the transition. I usually preferred starting the day before I left, but many travelers will suggest that you start when you board your first plane.
However, it's important to not start this process too early. You need to finish well in your old timezone so that you can succeed well in your new timezone. If you start too early, then you'll be tired and groggy in both timezones!
2. Drink lots of water. Water helps you feel refreshed when you're tired (since your sleeping schedule will be all out of whack), fuller between meals (since your eating schedule will be all out of whack), and hydrated (since airplanes will dry you out).
3. Spend some time outdoors. If the sun is shining, you it won't feel like bedtime, no matter how tired you are. If it's dark out, then you can start giving yourself mentally ready for bed even if you're not that tired. Also, if you take time to go on a walk while you're outside, you'll get a short-term energy burst and longer-term assistance in feeling tired sooner.
Have you ever experienced jet lag? What was it like? What did you find helpful in getting through it?
