What time zone am I in?

I travel.

A LOT.

I’ve frequently had months where I have concerts every weekend in a different city, which means I’m home Monday-Tuesday, swapping out suitcases and musical scores before heading to my next gig.  One memorable week last year had me doing a 36 hour turnaround between weeks in Brisbane, Australia and Montreal, Canada.  Good times.

I’m frequently asked how I deal with jet lag when I’m on that kind of crazy schedule crossing multiple time zones and spending, at max, 5 days in any one zone.  So I’ve compiled a list of tips to of what keeps me (mostly) functional and (somewhat) sane:

1.  Hydrate like you’ve just crossed the Sahara.  I’ll generally get through a 33.8 oz bottle of Smartwater on a cross country flight, and that’s in addition to having more water every time the beverage cart rolls by.  It’s hard to function when you’re tired and even mildly dehydrated.  And try to avoid alcohol, even when it’s free on those trans-oceanic flights.  OK, well, maybe a glass of wine with dinner.  But trust me, more than that and you’ll fell crappy when you land.  
2. Once you land, forget every time zone except the one you’re in.  Pretend you’ve been their all along – thinking about what time it is at home is just going to confuse you even more.  You’ll be surprised how your body will hop to when your brain is adamant that everything is just fine.  Mind over matter, people.
3. Speaking of hopping to, get a little exercise as soon as you can, particularly if you’ve landed during daylight.  I find it super helpful to take a long walk (weather permitting) outdoors.  Sunlight exposure is key to resetting your circadian rhythm.  Although I might hit the hotel gym treadmill, I try to get in an outdoor run if I can.  Even in winter in Minnesota.  #runningdedication
4. Resist (as much as possible!) the urge to nap.  Seriously, it will throw you off even more if you crash the minute you hit your hotel room.  However, if it’s a cross-country red eye situation and you land in the morning with 3 hours of sleep, a nap may be called for.  Just make sure it’s less than 90 minutes;  anything more than that and you’ll wake up groggier (and crankier) than before.  45 minutes seems to be my magic number.
5. Eat meals on your new time zone, and avoid anything you’re not used to – your body is stressed as it is.  This is not the day to experiment with the most exotic local cuisine.  The balut will be there tomorrow (and all the power to you if you actually try it!)
6. Go to bed on local time and wake up on local time.  This is usually more challenging when you’re traveling east, as your day is shortened.  5 milligrams of melatonin can usually do the trick, but by all means go with over-the-counter or prescription sleep aids IF you’ve used them before and you know they work for you and don’t make you a comatose zombie the morning after.  Again, this just isn’t the time to be experimenting.

Finally, if you’re like me and traveling for work, you probably have to hit the ground running when you reach your destination.  Make sure you create some space for self care in the midst of all the busy-ness.  I find that I feel even more out of balance if I don’t take some time for myself.  For me that involves watching CNN International in a bathrobe if I have an hour or two to spare, but, hey, everyone’s different.  Find your happy place and make sure you go there!