Spring break almost always means a trip to party central or relaxation city, depending on your preference and your budget. In most cases, it means flying to a different state, time zone, or country. If you’re lucky, you come back with a few days left to adjust to the routine of your next academic term. But how do you adjust if you landed the day before or the day of class?
1. Stay hydrated
Hydration in this case does not include coffee or alcohol. The cabin pressure and humidity in airplanes usually leads to dehydration, which causes fatigue and jet lag. Drinking a lot of water before and during the flight will combat this dehydration and reduce your chances of heavy exhaustion. Do not forget to moisturize to prevent flaky dry skin, thereby fighting dehydration throughout your body.
2. Stick to your home time zone for short trips
Spring break is literally only one week long. So, your best bet may be to stay in the Eastern Standard Time Zone if possible. Switching your sleep schedule too frequently within a short period of time will leave you drained – too groggy for your first week and too tired to concentrate on your classes.
3. Sleep on overnight flights
Sleep on your flight home if it lands during the day. This will help you stay up until nightand get your cardio rhythm back on schedule faster than it would if you were to stay awake. If you cannot fall asleep on the flight, try to relax yourself as much as possible with soft music or meditation. Or daydream on the flight, using this opportunity to visualize your plans for the upcoming quarter.
4. Stay awake till your bedtime
Unpack, take the time to put your things away, and do your laundry if you land during the day. Keep yourself busy and organize as much as you have to so you can stay awake during the day. Grab a cup of coffee if that helps you stay up or hang out with your friends until dark. This will help you re-adjust to your normal sleeping schedule.
5. Go to the gym
Go to the gym and tire yourself out in the evening so that you can fall asleep at night. You’ll get back on track quicker if you pass out at night. Or practice a few yoga moves like the child pose to get you to sleep quicker. Clearing your head and meditating will help you get to sleep faster at night. Turning off your TV and laptop will also help you get a better and more restful sleep.
6. Plan your day
Have each activity of your first day back planned out. It might be hard to stick to it, but it will be better in the long run to have time portioned out. If your time is accounted for, you are more likely to get stuff done and less likely to fall asleep or lose track of time.
It’s hard to get in the groove of the Drexel quarter system after a whole week of partying, sightseeing, or Netflix and chilling. Either way, you’re about to be jerked back to the reality of school. Just carry out these tips and hit the ground running for spring term.