Travelling including backpacking has become a lot more popular the last few years in a more mainstream manner. The internet is loaded with a whole lot of tips and tricks to keep active and fit in order to keep up with everyone’s greener and/or healthier lifestyle. With that in a mind it is like- in a sense we are going back to the positive practices of the old world, we are reversing the damage of processed, artificial, genetically modified needlessly and overly preserved products that boomed the last century.
In other words travelling becoming more mainstream has trained different cultures to be a lot less discriminative and relaxed with one another. The internet and gadget culture popped and has become a lot more affordable and available even to the youngest of humans. All this creates a more open-minded and creative world where people are encouraged to strive to be better and help one another instead of the usual we do- the opposite of what was mentioned.
Make sure to inquire or research on how many time zones there is from point A to B so that you can somewhat calculate how bad your lag could possibly be. Of course if you are already fit and naturally energetic with a good idea of what a well-balanced diet consists of, then you will be fine- unless you have motion sickness or a fear of flights. For those who get easily nauseous or nervous- remember it is mostly mental nerves and that if you eat well and exercise well then over half of your original amount of anxiety shoots down. Jet lag does not usually occur when one crosses one or 2 time zones only unless of course with any case to case medical basis, the person is more sensitive.
2-3 hours of a time difference is not a big deal for most fairly healthy individuals, especially the ones who are happy to be there. 4-6 hours can still be pretty fun for the adventurous, fitter ones and can start to get daunting for the ones who are of riper age or have rising ailments.
Symptoms of jet lag are of course temporary and include the expected symptoms you get when you get force awakened to go to school and get thrown in your parent’s fast bumpy car. You may experience insomnia, irritability, indigestion, and disorientation after you land, and it can be unexpected and hit you like bricks because changing time zones is stressful for the body too.
Here are easy ways to minimize or even fully prevent insomnia if your trip is not too far off.
1.) Melatonin
This natural substance is a hormone our pituitary gland produces to sync our body clock to the sun. Our circardian rhythm or internal clock/body clock is ruled by this hormone and the lights all around us natural and unnatural. When light is absent or much more absent, melatonin release is stimulated and then suppressed when the eyes and body sense light.
So of course travelling brings a sudden outburst or lack of lights and sound and can disrupt your body clock and mood as well.
Melatonin can indeed be taken in supplement form but do not grow dependent- it nearly stops working on your body for the tolerance buildup is high and fast. The more melatonin pills you take the more you need to take to feel a little sleep again. So do take as little as possible in the lowest dosages, take melatonin only 1-3 nights before your travel day and try sticking to one pill only especially on the night before departure.
2.) Valerian Root
A stinky herb that should be enclosed as much as possible. It really is soothing though and is not addictive. It can be boiled into a tea and its natural powder can be found in capsules. Usually 1-3 pills is the recommended amount to take 1-2 hours before sleeping or even 3 if you just plan to be awake but very relaxed.
3.) Diet and Exercise
Of course silly! This tip is actually the most important because if your body has already been frequently worked out and dieted properly than you do not need so many supplements to help you with life. Good choices that lead to the most affordable and healthiest lifestyle is the best medicine along with laughter and positive outlooks.
Remember to eat foods that are not junk and try to restrain yourself 3-5 days at least before travelling so that you are not sickly and as strong as possible. Make sure to exercise at least 20 minutes a day be it brisk walking, full body yoga or any form of efficient stretching, toning and planking, running or a mix of all 3. 30-45 minutes of exercise is a lot more ideal and the more you exercise the less you crave junk food plus you create energy reserves in your body to perk you up later. And when you diet healthier you feel lighter, less
pained and bloated, less irritable, stronger, cleaner and more encouraged to exercise and yes, sleep better.
