This article was published on February 4th, 2018

One of the worst things that can happen to you (other than death, being mugged, or having your trip canceled), while on vacation or on a business trip, is suffering from jetlag. No one wants to arrive feeling like shit and unable to properly function for the first few hours or days of a trip. To have a fabulous time on your next long haul trip, and avoid the dreaded ruined trip, use these 7 tips to combat jetlag.

1. Adjust your sleep schedule before leaving. Try to start living in the time zone you are going to at least 24-72 hours in advance for long-haul destinations. Landing in Paris at 7 am? You probably want to get some rest on the flight over so you can hit the ground running. This may mean not sleeping that much before your flight to guarantee you catch some zzz’s on the way over.
2. Hydration station. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate. The best way to retain our homeostasis is to keep refilling our bodies with its main ingredient: water. Don’t be shy about pounding some H20 on board your flight and when you land.
3. Don’t drink. It is so damn tempting to order a screwdriver the second you sit down, wedged in your 22 inches across seat for the next ten hours. But avoiding drinking too much can ensure you won’t be hungover when you land.
4. Plan it out. Allow yourself plenty of time to recuperate when you arrive at your destination. Don’t plan anything too strenuous or tedious for the first day or two after you arrive at your location. Traveling is hella stressful and your body needs time to rest and rejuvenate.
5. Sleep it off. If you are feeling the side effects of a long journey, one of the best things you can do is rest. Try to schedule at least 8 hours of sleep for yourself upon arriving at your vacation. If you can obtain two nights of 8 hours of sleep for your first few nights, you should be jetlag free in no time.
6. Work it out. Your body needs to rest and rebuild after a long trip, and a good way to speed up your metabolism and the rebuilding process is adhering to your workout routine while on vacation. Sweat out those toxins, germs, and stress you had from traveling and take time to rebalance with a good workout.
7. Power through. You only get to go on vacation once a year, right? Man up, suck it up, and power through doing everything you want to do. Rarely in life do we remember the nights when we got enough sleep, and this applies to when you are on holiday: you can sleep it off when you get home, if all else fails.

These same trips can be used to help fight jetlag when you are returning from a long haul trip.

Do you have a suggestions or tips that have worked for you when you’ve suffered from jetlag on your travels? Leave your advice in the comments below.