Hack your way to a stress-free flight
You love the idea of vacations, but the process of actually getting there, not so much — especially when point A and point B are halfway across the world from each other. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be all screaming babies, cramped seats and sleepless nights. Read on for tips on how to make your next trip through the skies more comfortable!
Colour me calm
Adult colouring books have recently become best-selling phenomenon, topping the charts all over the world. For those of you who can’t sleep on planes, these good old fashioned past-times will while away the hours and calm the nerves of any nervous flyers. And if you don’t want to carry extra weight, there are even colouring book Apps available to download free.
Get jiggly with it
It may sound crazy, but if you’re terrified of turbulence, try jiggling your body when you hit some rough air. No one will notice because they’ll be moving around themselves, and your movement will counteract that of the aircraft meaning you won’t feel the turbulence so much. Sitting by the wings can also reduce the sensation of turbulence as compared to sitting at the head or tail of the plane.
Fight the lag
Jet lag is one of the worst side-effects of long haul flying, and has many of us stressing for days before we fly. One way round the dreaded flight fatigue is to sync your sleep patterns to your new time zone one or two days before you travel. Although there isn’t any hard scientific evidence behind it, many frequent flyers also swear by melatonin, a hormone your body releases in the evening to let your brain know it’s time to sleep. Advocates suggest taking it for a few days before you fly, then after dark the day you travel and after dark for a few days after landing.
Sky high dining
Another way to fight that in-flight fatigue is to watch what you eat when you’re in the air. A recent study suggests that carb-rich foods (such as pasta, whole grain bread, or oatmeal) may help adjust your biological clock when you’re on the move, so try and pick your meal accordingly. Bonus tip: pick your meal before you fly. These days there is a surprising amount of choice on international airlines, and you get the added benefit of being served before everyone else. Special meals may also be of better quality as they’re made in smaller batches - vegetarian Asian meals in particular are pretty tasty!
Just press Play
Before leaving home download a good podcast onto your phone. (Bonus tip: keep your phone charged by taking your USB cable on board with you). A gripping podcast will keep you entertained for hours if the in-flight entertainment isn’t up to scratch (and you won’t be constantly interrupted by those aggravating in-flight announcements!) Combined with noise-cancelling headphones you’ll be able to block out even the noisiest of fellow passengers. If you’re a fan of real-life drama, try Serial; for comedy and pop culture give The Nerdist a go; and for all things money download Planet Money.
Stay hydrated
Don’t indulge in caffeine or alcohol when the cart rolls by - these are the main culprits of on-board dehydration, and will contribute to your overall feelings of in-flight discomfort. Instead, be sure to drink lots of water throughout your flight. You’ll need to keep your skin hydrated from the outside in too, so keep a moisturising body lotion such as Jergens handy and apply regularly throughout the flight. Formulated with Jergens’ breakthrough HYDRALUCENCE™ technology for visibly healthier skin, these body lotions provide long-lasting hydration, eliminate dullness and dryness, for beautifully luminous skin — you’ll step off the plane looking better than you did at take-off!
This story was produced in partnership with Kao Jergens.
