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Fight Frequent Flyer Stress

Flights are stressful, even for the most experienced of us.

Whether you work in the aviation industry or you work with regular flight requirements, being off the ground and in the sky can take a toll on your body. While the human brain has managed to create giant aircrafts for us to ride the clouds with, unfortunately our bodies have not coped and evolved to  being 10,000 metres above ground.

The human body gets a lot of stress from frequent flying because of many reasons. We breathe less oxygen in a cabin than we would on the ground because of cabin pressure. This can create many problems for your blood pressure. Also, you are stuck in an enclosed environment for hours with people breathing the same air. This makes you prone to infectious viruses, especially if you have a low immune system. There is also the problem of jetlag, cramps, and many more!

 

What’s important to know is that you can fight frequent flyer stress with a bit of preparation and post-flight relaxation. Here are some of my best tips.

 

1. To avoid jetlag, if you’re travelling west, researchers suggest that preparing your sleep patterns really help. If you are going West, try going to sleep one hour later and waking up an hour later for up to three days before you travel. If travelling the other way, you should try sleeping one hour earlier and waking up one hour earlier than usual for 3-4 days before you travel.

2. Take 0.5 –5 mg of melatonin for a few days before going to sleep when you get to your new destination. This will help tune your body clock chemically. Also make sure to take multivitamins and vitamin C to boost your immunity to other viruses in the cabin.

3. Throughout the flight, make sure that you do these things – Keep drinking and stay hydrated, don’t drink too much alcohol or caffeine. Shift in your seat and walk around the cabin to exercise your muscles. If you are prone to immobility, make sure you have compression stockings on. Ear plugs during the flight would help a great deal with the screaming babies in flight.

4. If you are crossing time zones, after landing, you need to wait for the proper meal time for you to eat or sleep. Train your body to follow a new routine. Don’t break it with snacks or naps as this will only confuse your body even more.

5. Take a break from flying. If your job requires you to fly a lot, making sure that you are flight free for a few days can help reset your body. Try signing up to health retreats for a few days. This will ensure that you are relaxed and healthy for your next flights!

 

Happy flying!

 

Categories: Travel Tips