How To Prevent Jetlag

This is a great article written by Jennifer Jefferies an international speaker on work life balance, who is also a dedicated practitioner of aromatherapy. Jennifer describes how to use aromatherapy to prevent Jetlag.

In Asia people visit health practitioners to stay well. They don’t wait to get ill like we do here in the western world. They live from a place of prevention. I work as a professional speaker which calls for me to travel approx three weeks of every month ten months of the year and I am on an airplane pretty much most of those days.

I travel extensively nationally and internationally and when I fly I know how to look after myself to prevent jetlag. I cross time zones constantly and I am generally booked to speak at a conference the morning after I arrive so there is no time for jetlag. So how do I do it?

I live my life from a place of prevention. I simply don’t wait to go off balance. The trick that I have found when flying long or short haul is to take a couple of simple things with me on the trip. Firstly I need to let you know that I am a naturopath and an aromatherapist and I specialised my training in the emotional aspects of illness behind the physical.

Just like any illness jetlag has an emotional component as well as the physical. The number one strategyI employ to prevent jetlag is to travel with some essential oil. Now aromatherapy essential oils are just like old time pharmacy and they work on a physical and emotional level. They are not new or clever you are just going back to using the basics which are closer to nature. The oil blend I fly with is a blend called Sanity Saver which contains oils such as Vetiver, Australian Sandalwood, Geranium, Patchouli and Ylang Ylang. This earthy blend is designed to keep you grounded and help you think of one thing at once and in the case of a long haul flight that is sleep.

Remember it is not the quantity of hours that you sleep but the quality of the sleep that can make the difference in preventing jetlag. So I know you are thinking great, that’s another little bottle of liquid I need to put in my clear plastic bag to get through security. But no you don’t. What I use is an Aromatherapy Necklace or bracelet or even the personal inhaler. You add one drop of your favourite essential oil like the Sanity Saver blend to the jade bead and wear that. Or with the personal inhaler you add three or four drops of your favourite essential oil into the holes at the top of the bottle, using the specially designed pipette, easily scents the bottle. The scent will remain strong for up to two months depending on the note of the essential oil used.

Heavier smelling oils linger longer and the Sanity Saver is a deep earthy aroma that lingers well. Inside the Personal Aromatherapy Inhaler container is a glass bottle with cotton inside that holds the essential oil. Your little bottle of oil goes in your packed luggage to top it up for the way home or through the rest of your travels. It’s so easy. Of course all of the usual information about limiting alcohol consumption and upping your water intake are still relevant.

Adding some aromatherapy to your travel plans can make the world of difference.