How to Get Over Jet Lag: Our Travel Writers Share Their Top Tips for Women

Eight tips to help women adjust and overcome jet lag

1. Drink water: Flying dehydrates us. there is less humidity in the air and there are also changes in air pressure, both of which dry out nasal passages, making women more susceptible to catching airborne viruses. As a migraine sufferer, I’ve found that I often get migraines after a long flight, so try to prevent this by making sure I’m well hydrated. Drinking electrolytes can help restore our body’s essential minerals—like sodium, calcium, and potassium. In addition to drinking more water than usual, try coconut water or electrolyte powder or tablets to restore fluids to your body.— Carolyn Ray

2. Exercise before travel: Before you arrive, do all your workouts. If you’re going on safari, for example, the food is great but the most exercise you are going to get is climbing in and out of the safari cruiser and walking in the lodge. Try walking, swimming or climbing steps. An hour a day…you can split it over the day. All that is aerobic to increase metabolism and burn fat. If you go to the gym, then do your regular weights. Start as soon as you book your travel (and then make it a lifestyle). — Rupi Mangat

“Our regular lives are often circumscribed by work or habit, but travel (the quintessential self-care activity!) gives us a chance to explore, meet new people, try new things, taste new foods and be a little more adventurous than we would be back home.” – Leyla Alynak

 3. Sleep when you need it: When flying to a new place. If arrival time is during the day, then take a nap on the flight. This helps adjust to the local time zone. But if arriving at nighttime, then play games, work and tire your body on the flight so that once you reach, you are ready to sleep. This is the best way to beat jet lag. I personally enjoy Duolingo, Elevate, Lumiosity, candycrush or just edit my videos on the phone. They all keep the mind really active and engaged. Please note that reading a book tires the eyes and helps us sleep better, so this trick can also be used to manipulate sleep. Coffee on flights is usually decaffeinated so it does not kick in the energy. — Tanzila Khan