Flying long haul: beat airplane fatigue and enjoy your holiday more

    

Many of us will be jumping on a plane and getting some serious air miles under our belts. We can’t deny that visiting exotic locations, sipping cold cocktails and taking a dip in the warm sea is serious motivation.

Yet we often dread the hours we spend in the air. The impact of long-haul flights can leave us feeling groggy and generally out of sync with the world.

In this article, we help you mitigate these issues and give some tips and strategies for feeling your best after a long flight. Giving you the ability to spend more time enjoying your well-deserved break. 

We all know that staying hydrated is good for our health and general wellbeing.

When we fly, making sure you are taking on enough liquids becomes even more crucial. The fact behind the matter is that you dehydrate significantly more quickly on board a plane than you would on a typical day on terra firma.

This is due to the recycled air within the cabin creating an atmosphere with disagreeable levels of humidity. In fact, most planes are drier than the Sahara at 10% - 20% humidity. This is much drier than the typical 30% - 60% we are used to.

Although some more modern planes have better systems for keeping passengers in a comfortable atmosphere, you will still need to ensure you are consuming enough water to limit the negative effects of dehydration.

Firstly, make sure you are well hydrated before you get on the plane. However, don’t drink so much that the take-off process will have you squirming in your seat and watching the seatbelt sign. 

Once flying a general rule of one glass of water per hour should keep your hydration levels high enough to limit feeling uncomfortable.

Ok, avoiding booze altogether may be a little extreme.

After all, you are on holiday. If you want a G&T mid-flight, we wouldn’t want to risk getting in your way.

Let us rephrase this then to ‘limit booze’.

The reasons for limiting booze on your flights are two-fold. Firstly, combining alcohol, which is a diuretic, with the dry nature of airplane cabins can often lead to dehydration happening much quicker than you might usually expect.

Secondly, during flights you have lower levels of oxygen in your blood, so the effects of alcohol can amplify. This doesn’t mean you'll feel physically worse post-flight, but your tipsy state may cause some feelings of guilt towards the crew and your fellow passengers.

Planes are an airtight container that regularity transports hundreds of people. No surprises then that they can be pretty germ-filled places. Combine this with the recycling of air around the cabin and it is enough to send you into meltdown.

This environment can lead to germs and bugs getting picked up easily, which can potentially ruin your holiday altogether.

Taking a few simple steps can seriously limit the chances of this happening. Firstly, carrying and regularly using a tube of anti-bacterial gel will help kill any undesirable germs. Equally, regularly washing your hands and face will have the same effect.

To stop the spread of germs, also try to avoid touching your face and mouth unnecessarily.

Repeatedly cleaning your hands and face combined with the dry atmosphere is going to leave your skin feeling dry and uncomfortable.

Using a combination of revitalising oil and nourishing moisturiser on your hands and face will keep you feeling fresh and stop your skin from drying out. Try packing and using the 03 EVERYDAY OIL ROLL-ON and 02 NIGHT CREAM 30mL, both of which come in a compact size and will easily fit in your carry-on baggage.

If your destination is likely to expose you to direct sunlight, also try applying the 01 DAY CREAM 30mL before leaving the plane, giving your skin the immediate protection it requires.

If you have flown long haul before, you'll know that getting to sleep isn’t always easy.

Often uncomfortable seats, surrounding passengers and the general hum of the plane makes it seem an impossible feat. But a little prep can go a long way to help you feel refreshed and ready to enjoy your holiday when you land.

Using an eye mask and earplugs can help to block out the humdrum of the cabin. Equally, taking a travel pillow can support your neck enough to mitigate some of the issues with feeling uncomfortable and help you relax your body as you attempt to sleep.

To help relax further, try applying some BAOBAB & ROSE OIL ROLL-ON to your skin and take a few deep inhalations.

Getting some sleep will help your body feel better when you land.

However, immediately after waking up you are likely to feel a little blurry eyed and groggy. At this point, sipping some water, stretching and applying a refreshing product such as the 05 FACE AND EYE ESSENCE will help you quickly feel human again.

In a world that is becoming increasingly environmentally aware, air travel is under scrutiny as a big contributor of harmful gases to the atmosphere.

Although many shorter journeys are avoidable, using alternatives such as a train. This isn’t a luxury afforded to those travelling long-haul.

Using Dr Jackson’s products when you travel allows you to balance out this inevitable carbon footprint. We take a sustainable approach to packaging, all of which can be recycled and is printed using eco-friendly soya ink. The containers for our creams, oils and teas can also be repurposed as beautiful plant pots, vases or candles. 

The gender-neutral nature of our products also allows those travelling together to save space and weight when they fly by sharing products.

It is clear that flying long-haul can leave us feeling fatigued. However, following these simple steps above can help you to feel refreshed and ready to enjoy your holiday.