Travel Fatigue is Inevitable, But There Are Ways to Make it Easier

No matter how you look at it, or what you do to try to make it better, traveling is exhausting.  Whether you’re traveling for work, or just for pleasure, you will inevitably have to fight off travel fatigue.  There are some people who find it easy to sleep during a flight, but that’s not the case for everyone.  Maybe you can’t fall asleep in a new place?  Or maybe the idea of just letting go and relaxing on a plane just doesn’t work for you.  Whatever the case, there has to be some way to be able to get some rest while you’re traveling.

Rest Is Important

When you’re able to plan your own trip, then you are able to make a conscious effort not to pack too many activities into your schedule.  But when it’s a work trip, you’re working. Not only are your days consumed by meetings, or training, but you might try to get some sightseeing in if it’s a new city.  This can seem like a lot to cram into just a few days, so make sure that you’re getting as much rest as you possibly can.  Maybe it sounds lame, but getting to bed by 10 might not be the worst thing you could do.  Or, at least, try to keep your bedtime consistent with your regular schedule.

In addition, you might want to bring some melatonin.  It’s certainly something I bring with me, just in case.  Melatonin is the hormone that is naturally secreted by your pineal gland and helps your body fall asleep. Taking a melatonin supplement will help your brain produce more of the hormone so that you can fall asleep with ease. Unlike other sleep aids, melatonin won’t leave your brain foggy the next day, making it easy to get up and start your busy day.

How To Recharge Without Sleep?

This is an interesting concept, isn’t it?  I mean, this is something that I would love to be able to do on a daily basis.  Less sleep is always the goal in order to get more done, but is that even feasible?  Yes and no.  I wouldn’t recommend attempting to get less sleep just to get more done, but you could try a guided meditation to help you feel a bit more refreshed and recharged.  Try the Headspace app, you might even like it, and start doing it every day.

Plan Ahead

Lastly, plan ahead.  Don’t get the last flight home on a Sunday night because you’re just going to go to bed right away, and your whole week will feel out of sorts.  If you can get home early in the afternoon, you will be able to get things done and feel better about what’s to come.  This is something that I try to do when I travel – even if it’s a weekend road trip.  I also like to get things ready in advance as well.  Before I leave for the weekend, I try to have my gym bag ready to go, so it’s one less thing to think about when I get home.

As I said earlier, there’s no getting around being tired from travel.  Knowing how to cope with it in advance, or when it’s happening is all you can do.  That means, being prepared.  Make sure you set realistic expectations for the following week.  For example – don’t schedule back to back meetings on a Monday morning, if you can avoid it.  And maybe don’t schedule your root canal for the Monday night after you return from a long trip.  If you need extra time to get yourself together – you’ve got it.  Give yourself a break.  After all, you are only human!