An Extra Hour Every Day

Crossing time-zones is especially tiring and it can significantly reduce your personal productivity. By being cautious and following the following recommendations you can significantly reduce the jet-lag.

1) Physical preparation

It is important to drink a lot of fluid. Water is best. Please don’t forget that alcohol will dehydrate your body although you are drinking. The airlines recommend drinking one glass of water per hour.

2) Stay in your time zone

For short trips it does not make sense to adjust to the new time zone. Otherwise just after getting used to the new time zone you will have to readjust back home.

You should therefore try to schedule meetings that they better suit your biological time and also go to be and get-up as close as possible to your home country’s time.

3) Adapt quickly

• Switch your watch immediately to the time of your destination, so that you start thinking and behaving accordingly.
• Only sleep when it is appropriate according the time zone you are in. It will be hard in the beginning. However, when you finally go to bed you will tired and the chances to sleep longer increase.
• Day light has a lot of influence on your biological time clock. Exposing your body to daylight as much as possible will accelerate the process of acclimatization.
• Exercising will also help in two ways. On one hand it might increase your exposure to day light if your exercise outdoors. On the other side it will make you tired so that you are more likely to sleep. It is also said that exersizing between late afternoon and early evening is the optimal time to reset your clock more quickly.
• It is best to eat little before your journey. When you arrive at your destination start eating according to your new time zone. When you arrive in the morning, have breakfast, etc.

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