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One of the worst things about vacations is looking forward to arriving only to find you’re half dead after having to endure hours and hours cooped up in a little metal tube flying over the ocean.

Although it’s impossible to avoid all discomfort, it can be reduced. Here are 8 tips to help you feel fresher and more active when you arrive at your destination…

1. Change to better seats if possible

Once the flight has taken off all spare seats are fair game. The holy grail of this is getting an entire row to yourself so you can stretch out and sleep. If this isn’t possible then switching to a seat with better leg room or a window seat where you can rest your head on it’s side can make a lot of difference.

2. Use Melatonin to help sleep

This is a cabin crew secret because Melatonin is a natural hormone that helps reset your internal body clock and promote natural sleep. You can get about 100 pills for as little as $5 over the counter.

3. Get a relief band

These are little bands which look like watches and can stop motion sickness within seconds. Although motion sickness is not usually a problem on a flight (apart from extreme turbulence I guess) but it can help calm and steady you for the flight so you arrive less stressed.

4. Drink plenty of water

Quite often the main reason you feel bad after a long flight is not the jet lag itself, but dehydration because you’ve been sat there breathing recycled dry air for hours. Drink as much water as you can handle and try to keep away from alcohol.

5. Avoid heavy foods

Studies have shown that fatty foods and sugar can lower your body’s immune system in minutes, and this is bad news on a long flight as you will be susceptible to cramps and any germs circling the cabin. If it looks unhealthy, avoid it and ask for something lighter if possible.

6. Take a stretching break

If possible during the flight, stand up and go for a bit of a walk, and if possible, do even more vigorous stretching. This will help get your circulation going again after having been sat for too long, plus it will ward off cramps and knotted muscles.

7. Dress for comfort and remove shoes

The more relaxed and unrestricted you feel, the better your flight will be. This doesn’t mean you can’t still look stylish if this is important to you, but just remember to keep everything looser and softer if you want to have a better flight. Plus, when sat removing your shoes will help stop them swelling up and causing discomfort.

8. Use earplugs or noise cancelling headsets

Even when everyone else on the plane is sleeping they can be incredibly noisy places to be. So when everyone isn’t sleeping it can be a nightmare if you are trying to nod off. A cheap option is simple earplugs or the more expensive is noise cancelling headsets. Either way they may not guarantee silence but they will help cut out much of the background noise.

These tips won’t guarantee you will arrive at your destination as fresh as a daisy, but they will go a long way to helping you feel better, so try them on your next long-haul flight and see how they work!