完成2016年美国本部夏校学习的美国梦沃学校(上海)学生们要开始飞行了，祝他们安全顺利!我们学术主任Chris Moses为大家特别写的飞行指南，给所有的“飞人”

For all of you who I know take long-haul flights. After years of experience, this is the best advice I can offer. Safe travels, onwards and upwards!

I fly a lot, hundreds of thousands of miles a year, often between Asia and the US—which means a twelve-to-fifteen hour time difference. There’s a lot of advice out there for beating jet lag, some of which is decent. I want to share my own, which I’ve developed from experience and the advice of others. Indeed, flight crews that operate regularly on long-haul routes, say those on Cathay Pacific, Singapore or Emirates, often have some of the best tips and tricks I’ve ever gotten.

The most important thing: understand your body, and listen to your body. Second, think about how, what, when—and for how long—you need or want to do upon your arrival at your destination.

Travel can be stressful—long waits, etc—even with supposed “priority” lines.

Physical / Metabolic

PROBLEM: I find that more than anything, more than sleep, it’s my eating routines that can take the biggest toll on how I feel. My body can only adjust about 3-4 hours per day. So, if I go from Shanghai to New York, it will be at least 3 days before I can eat a meal in the middle of the day and not get an unsettled stomach: my body thinks it’s 1am, and shouldn’t be dealing with food!

Snacks! Oatmeal is a super travel food.

TIP: I find that I do best when I eat smaller snacks, rather than full meals, just before, during, and for a few days after I travel: smoothies, yogurt, yummy natural nutty “protein” bars, and the like. I do drink coffee pretty regularly, but I always try to buffer it with some sort of dairy or dairy alternative. This makes tapas a tremendously appealing dining option if I want to go out, or must have a work meal!

PROBLEM: Planes are very, very low-humidity environments. That keeps rust away, so it’s great for planes, but not so great for our bodies, which are mostly water.

TIP: Drink lots of water. Eat a bit more salt than you usually would. Drink caffeinated beverages and alcohol advisedly. I also try to avoid any kind of artificial or refined sugars, and only drink carbonated beverages in moderation. Tomato juice is a great option, or apple juice—and water is wonderful. I try to drink at least a quarter-to-half liter of water per hour on a plane. You might pee a lot, but you’ll feel much better.

TIP: moisturize! A little lotion and lip balm goes a long way. Also, if you’re really feeling dry, or need to take a decongestant to keep your sinuses in check: saline nasal spray (just simple salt water in a nose spray bottle) is great. A few squirts will help, I promise!

PROBLEM: Aches and pains, and your circulation—your muscles might feel more fatigued than usual.

TIP: I’m a huge fan of massages. A quick foot massage helps enormously. A little spa recovery, if you’re able to swing it, can make everything about your vacation or work trip that much more enjoyable. Some time in a sauna, with all that hot, humid air—it’s miraculous! Or at the very least, try to do some stretching, yoga, or other low-impact exercise to help re-start your clock.

Sleep / Wake Cycle

PROBLEM: I’m writing this at 3:00am?!?!

TIP: Know when you feel your best, and how you can shift that to match the clock.

I’ve found bubbling can solve most problems: it relaxes you, improves circulation, and it’s fun!

Everyone has a different approach. Some are fighters, they push and push through exhaustion to make it to their normal bedtime, and then sleep, and then they’re mostly adjusted. But since that has never helped me much with metabolic change, and I often still have to keep track of things in both Asia and N. America, I’m a napper. I sleep when I’m tired, and structure my day as best as I can to accommodate my schedule. For instance, if I’m just going to be in the US for a week or less, I’ll try to schedule morning and evening commitments, and take a big nap in the middle of the day. I like to think of it as a siesta!

Then, when I get back to Asia, I can adjust to my normal, daytime routines rather easily.

Ultimately, I think my sleep cycle is the easiest thing to change, if I pay attention to the other physical effects of time change.

Psychological

When all your colleagues, friends and family are suddenly asleep when you’re awake, when the news cycle is happening too early or far too late, when you’ve gone from a hot place to cold, from a metropolis to a suburban or rural locale—don’t underestimate how those potentially very drastic changes can impact your physical and mental experience. Plus there’s social and cultural changes, which can have a tremendous impact on your routines, mood and overall well-being. This doesn’t necessarily have to do with time change, but it’s real. Flying from Singapore to Johannesburg in August is really going to shake up your senses, and your sense of reality.

Not all planes—or classes of service—are created equally. Amongst my favorites: Cathay, ANA, Singapore, Lufthansa, Qantas, Emirates and Qatar.

PROBLEM: Not all planes are created equally.

TIP: You’ll arrive feeling much differently if, after hanging out in a dingy old airport terminal, you fly for twelve or more hours on an old United 747 with limited in-flight entertainment options, versus a brand new, spacious Korean Air A380with lots of space to move around, and state-of-the-art technology, with the opportunity to change planes, rest, and relax at Incheon airport. So, plan a bit before you buy your ticket, search flight reviews, check out seatguru or similar plane and seat advice sites. The difference of $50-100 in a fare can mean the difference between an unpleasant flight and a more enjoyable one; it’s well-worth being a discerning customer.

PROBLEM: Everything is different, and I’m tired!

TIP: Know your routines, and try to understand how your needs can be met. If I’m going to be in London or New York, or staying at a hotel with 24hr room service, I don’t have to worry too much: I can get most anything I need or want at any time, day or night.

TIP: Be prepared: decent instant coffee, a couple boxes of granola bars, some soy milk in my checked luggage—whatever I’ll need for 12-24 hours after my arrival.

TIP: Never underestimate the power of a good, hot shower. One of the most brilliant things anyone ever did was to put showers in airports. If you have access to a lounge, take advantage of this. If not, consider buying a lounge pass, which are available in most global airport hubs.

Where have I landed?

Also, even when I was a strict budget traveler, backpacking in SE Asia or Central America, I always tried to spend a little extra money on a nicer place for my first night. A “soft landing” makes a huge difference. It’s no fun worrying about transportation, safety, reliable plumbing, internet, and many other things, in a very unfamiliar environment. There’s nothing worse than dropping off to sleep in a hostel bed, exhausted from hours of travel, and waking up to find out that in your jet-lagged haze, you forgot to secure your passport or computer, and it’s gone.

Finally, RELAX.

Travel can be stressful and anxiety-provoking at the best of times, it can be that much more stressful if you’ve got lots to do, you’ve got family with you, or whatever it might be: crowded public spaces, weather, delays—all of these things exacerbate your mood, good or bad.

So I try to bring my “happy place” with me: some relaxing music, some food or travel or fashion magazines, a bar of really great chocolate. I stay quiet when I want to be alone. I chat with folks when I’m feeling social. And I try to be honest about what I can or can’t change. Most people who actually work in the service-end of travel companies, the flight attendants and front desk workers—they’re great, friendly and helpful people. So: don’t be an asshole: (1) it’s just really rude; (2) these service workers have huge power over how well or poorly your experience will be; and (3) being an asshole won’t change anything, and people will just think you’re that much more of an asshole.

Safe travels, and go out and see the world!

This entry was posted in Travel on July 14, 2016.

上海梦沃未来学院报名、校园参观及了解招生动态，请： ，或通过下方报名通道登记。