September 11, 2018

As an event business owner, we know what it means to adapt to different time zones.

Over the past 20 years, I have traveled to over 50 countries!

Sometimes I am in the air more than I am on the ground, like the one time The Industry was releasing the first Economic Impact Study at the Press Club in Washington: I flew from Brussels, landed in Washington in the late afternoon, went straight into a dinner meeting, attended the Press Conference in the morning and finally flew back to Europe.

I often chuckle when I talk to others who are not business travelers. They get excited when I talk about all of the different countries I have traveled to!

THEM: “Oh, you have been to Lausanne? I looove that city!”

ME: “Yes, it is indeed a beautiful city, the view on the Lake, the mountains in the background, and the skiing close by.” Of course, I don’t mention to them the journey Miami-Frankfurt-Geneva-Lausanne-Meetings-Geneva-Frankfurt-Miami … all in four days.

As an independent meeting planner, I am sure you get this a lot too!

Don’t get me wrong, I do love to travel, but it can have a severe impact on our health and on our productivity.

Throughout my travels, I am often asked how do I deal with jet lag and what are my secrets!

Here are my 3 top tips on how I deal with jet lag:

  1. I consume only water (or Coke Zero!) when airborne. I do not drink juices or alcoholic beverages when flying as I realized over the years that it was impacting my recovery time.
  2. I use Melatonin if I have at least three time zone differences (I am not a doctor, so please make sure to check with your physician first before taking Melatonin).
  3. I will take one each night before going to sleep for three nights in a row.
    1. If I fly overseas to the East, I take the first one when the flight takes off in the evening and sleep throughout the night.
    2. If I return to the US, I try to stay awake as late as possible and take the first one before going to sleep
    3. I exercise as soon as possible and start by walking outside in the daylight. I (try to) go to the gym and immediately start my morning routine.

I have found over the years that the busier I am on my trips, the less time I have to sleep, so I just keep going!

It regularly happens that, as soon as I arrive at the destination, I go straight into meetings. As tiring as it may sound, it is actually the most efficient way to adapt and keep going … as long as the conversations are not boring!

And you, how are you coping with Jet Lag?

How do you plan your calendar and activities accordingly?

I’m very curious to know and look forward to hearing about your jet lag experiences. I’m always looking for new ideas on how to improve.

Please share with me in the comments below a how you handle jet lag – what’s your secret formula? I will make sure to share them and give you the credit! 

About the author 

Eric Rozenberg

For two decades, Eric Rozenberg has consulted with Fortune 500 companies and produced conferences in more than 50 countries across diverse industries. His focus is creating meetings that are not only breathtakingly memorable but which bring corporate strategies to life and amplify team motivation/performance.

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