Beating business jet lag: 6 tips to keep you working and awake
Traveling for work sounds pretty glamorous on paper. Complimentary drinks in the lounge. Extra leg room. Fancy hotels.
But the reality for many business travellers is squeezing as many stops into a short time as possible to maximise time with important contacts.
Jet lag can hit hard, making that early breakfast appointment, all-day conference or boardroom meeting a brutal exercise in staying awake, alert and productive.
With business travel, opens in a new tab seen as a vital part of corporate success for many big enterprises, jet lag may be unavoidable, but there are ways to make it less disruptive to your productivity.
What is jet lag?
Jet lag, opens in a new tab is more than simply feeling tired or missing a few hours of sleep.
Occurring when we travel through multiple time zones in quick succession, jet lag is a short-term sleep disorder that makes us tired during the day but wakeful at night.
Jet lag happens because our body clock or circadian rhythm is interrupted. Repeating on a 24-hour loop, our internal clock responds to things like sunshine and natural light and the release of hormones, such as melatonin, opens in a new tab, that tell our brains when to feel awake and when it’s time to sleep.
When we travel for work we miss the signals our brains get from natural light and other environmental factors that tell us when it’s time to rest. We also often have to skip or delay sleep, which confuses our internal systems, resulting in jet lag.
Symptoms of jet lag
While the most common symptoms associated with jet lag are feeling tired during the day and being awake through the night, it can also impact how healthy and productive we feel. Symptoms can include:
irritability or anxiety
difficulty concentrating
digestive issues
a general feeling of ill health.
Jet lag can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks – not great when you’re traveling for work and need to be at the top of your game every day.
Follow these six easy tips to minimise your jet lag when traveling for business.
1. Plan ahead
When booking flights, look at your work schedule on the first few days of your trip. If you are walking straight into an all-day conference, try and book a flight that puts you on the ground the night before, not at 7am the morning of day one. That way you will have time to settle into your new time zone, try and get some sleep and at least have a decent meal and shower before you put your game face on for a full workday.
Equally, if you have any control over your itinerary while traveling for work, schedule your most important meetings later in your trip when you’ll be more rested, and keep earlier appointments short so you don’t get too fatigued.
2. Get on local time asap
From the time the fasten seatbelt sign goes on, adjust your watch and start getting on your new time zone, opens in a new tab. That can include sleeping and eating only when it’s appropriate at your destination time, avoiding blue light devices when it’s “nighttime” and moving and stretching whenever you can.
3. Stay hydrated
Try and avoid the temptation to treat any flight like a holiday. Say no to an extra cup of coffee at breakfast and skip the wine with lunch and dinner. Caffeine and alcohol, opens in a new tab are known sleep disruptors and can contribute to dehydration, opens in a new tab which can make jet lag worse.
4. Check your schedule
If you know that your first few days of work while traveling are going to be demanding, plot time in your schedule to rest and recuperate. Identify gaps between meetings where you might be able to go for a walk outside or go back to your hotel room and take a shower or have a rest. If it’s possible, have a half or even full day at your destination before your work itinerary kicks off to properly adjust to your new time zone.
5. Nap wisely
Napping your way through jet lag might be the only way you’re going to survive a long work trip but be careful. Sleep too much during the day and your nighttime rest can suffer, making jet lag last even longer. Keep naps short, opens in a new tab, ideally no longer than 30 minutes. Set an alarm far away from the bed so you have to get up to turn it off. And don’t nap too close to bedtime. You want to be awake for at least four hours before you go to sleep for the night.
6. Talk to your doctor
Some people suffer more with jet lag than others, particularly as you get older, opens in a new tab. If experience has shown you that jet lag becomes the boss when you travel, and even with all your best planning sleep will be a problem, talk to your GP or healthcare provider before you leave. They may be able to recommend a supplement or short-term use medication if it’s appropriate for your needs and health status.
Please note: The information throughout this article serves as broad information and should not replace any advice you have been given by your medical practitioner.
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