Flying West ➡️ East

On the plane

1. Set your clock to the local time when you get in the plane (or just peek on your personal monitor).

2. Sleep at reasonable hours and as much as you can, you’ll want to be rested when you get there.

When you land

3. Stay awake!!! Whatever you do, don’t nap or fall asleep when you land. It will be so tempting to fall asleep on the ride to your place but don’t give in! Pinch yourself, talk to anyone, and keep those eyelids open!

4. When you settle in, get moving. Try to move around and get out. Keep the curtains open and really try not to rest until at least 8:30 pm.

5. Once it’s 8:30 pm (or later), you have permission to crash!

The next day

6. It is absolutely CRUCIAL to wake up at a decent hour the next morning. (Read: Before 8 am.) This will reset your internal clock and you will be adjusted lickety-split.

7. When you’re up, get ready and then go out and play! Even if you’re just taking a walk around the block, you will be telling your brain, “Hello brain! It is the wakey-day time! Be alert!”

The following days

8. Don’t stay up too late (read: past 11:30 pm) and don’t sleep in too late (read: past 8:30 am) and you will be amazed as your internal clock doesn’t whine one little bit. If you stay up too late talking to friends and family back home, then sleep in too late the next morning and repeat that cycle, you might as well stop trying. Because you will be unraveling all the hard work that you have just done! Don’t let it go to waste — set your boundaries and keep them and you will be a much happier traveler.