Good morning! I just woke up to the majestic view of the sun climbing over the Australian East Coast.  Not a bad way to start the day, but the view isn’t what excites me most at this moment. It’s the fact that I just enjoyed a normal seven-hour slumber. Nothing special, right?  Wrong.  To me, this is a very sweet victory!  Here is why:

Last night, I traveled from London to Australia, crossing 10 time zones in 20 hours.  If you’ve ever traveled from Europe or the US to Australia, you know that jet lag is an indomitable beast. It can rip your vacation to shreds, often requiring a full week before being subdued.  Even if you are able to adjust to a normal sleeping rhythm, jet lag symptoms such as fatigue and indigestion will often linger.

This time, I decided to take a stand.  I unsheathed my weapon of choice: research.  I read multiple articles, devised a plan, and went into action.  Jet Lag was about to meet its match.  Here’s what I did:

Before Departure

• I left London fully rested
• I adjusted my sleeping hours to the time zone of my destination two days prior to departure

During the Journey

• As soon as I boarded, I changed my watch to Australian time and slept only during Australian night time
• I avoided alcohol and caffeine and made sure to drink plenty of water
• I avoided big meals, opting for small, frequent meals
• I stayed active by walking around the cabin a few times and performing stretching exercises

After Arrival

• I spent all daylight hours outside
• I exercised throughout the day by both walking and doing push ups
• I only took a small, one hour nap
• I ate high protein meals
• I stayed up until 11 p.m. even though I was exhausted by 8 p.m.

I’m not sure which of these factors contributed the most to my astounding resilience.  What I can say, however, is that I have never felt so good after such a long journey.  If you suffer from jet lag and want to nip it in the bud, I highly recommend this regimen.  Please join me in the legendary battle against the jet lag monster!  Now it’s time for coffee.  Cheers 🙂