Not everyone has the luxury of getting a good night’s sleep.
It’s not insomnia causing it. And it’s not depression.
What’s leaving them feeling beat is their frequent flying profession – plain (plane?) and simple.
My brother’s among these sort. He does all’a that globe trotting stuff for start up companies, business meetings, and secret rendezvouses at the likes of Google’s Area 51 (Google X, I think it’s called). And while everything he does and sees is obviously impressive, homie’s in a perpetual state of jet lag and exhaustion most times I see him. Yet, somehow he’s acclimated to the fatigue that follows spending half your life amongst the clouds. So, I’ve gotta wonder: how do people like him deal with it? How do they recharge to prep for professional interactions? And avoid burning out? According to the experts, there’s a whole preparation list you can follow.
Firstly? Get ready ahead of time.
If you’re stuck at the last minute trying to discern which details on your to-do list are gonna happen when (check in, security clearing, locating the nearest Starbucks or Cinnabon), then stress levels’ll be at an all time high. Not just tomorrow when you’re running through the airport line with two different shoes on your feet, but tonight when you’re laying in bed worrying about what you’ll have to worry about when you wake up. So, aside from packing your bags, wrapping up work related homework, checking on flight times, and leaving enough reheatable meals in the fridge (so that hubby and the little nuggets you two propagated don’t starve to death), mayhaps also make an itinerary for tomorrow. That way, everything’s laid out for you and all you hafta do is follow (your own) orders.
Next?
Treat sleep deprivation (which you know’s coming) like an injury… and have a first aid kit at the ready. What some people’ll do is make a little siesta section in their sundry bag. (Blinders, ear corks, that one soporific tune you nicked off youtube with the whales and the white noise…) That way, you can really create a mood from the window seat. (Bonus: if you’re inadvertently lulling your plane mate to sleep by spraying lavender oils into the periphery, maybe he’ll be so drowsy that he’ll get less pissed about your frequent piss breaks that make him hafta get up or pretzel his body to let you by.)
Next? Be wise with exercise and edibles.
A good combo of the two leads to a good rest the night before.
(And a good rest the night before leads to a better recovery after the inevitable damage you’re about to incur.)
Then, finally: don duds you can dream in. This is something my peripatetic pops always taught me (before passing the traveling baton onto my brother). See, if you’re rocking layers, you can add ‘n subtract them as you see fit throughout your journey. In my experience, planes’re a bit chilly for my liking. However, after a few spirits (or having your own spirit squeezed from your body as you’re sat between two massively monstrous hominids sweating profusely onto you), you might feel a tad toastier. Bottom line? If you can’t get your body thermostat comfy, then you can’t drift off.
Or use the shoulder beside you in 22B as a human pillow.
Thus, if you’re new to the jet lag life, mayhaps give these revitalizing travel tips a try.
And maybe your membership in the flight club won’t feel like a constant fight.
(Or, ya know, you could just change your frikkin line of work, you masochist.)