6 things to do during a long flight!

Even though you may never go on a long trip like 11 hours these tips are useful for shorter trips too. The reason I say 11 hours is that I am sitting on a direct flight from Copenhagen to San Francisco right now writing this and that is 11 hours in the air and I came to think of how to use all that time without going crazy.

11 hours is a long time – very long time and it is easy to get stressed out if you just sit still and think about it.

I played with the thought of what one can do in this situation. You are all squeezed like sardines in a tin and moving space is limited. And I came up with these 6 activities.

1. Eating. We were served two main meals and one small sandwich snack in-between. Even though the food is not super gourmet it is good enough. These meals makes a perfect time for practicing eating slow – enjoying every mouthful. That is an art well worth learning because that is good for your digestion AND helps to reduce stress.  Also it does take some time; it is almost an art in itself, to manage to open all little packages that come on the tray without spilling on yourself – or on your neighbors that are sitting so close. You almost need to take turns to move your arms.
   
   
2. Do some work. Even if space is scares you can set up your laptop or pad at least for a limited time. If you go tourist class, like I do this trip, you don’t get electricity so the fun will last only so long. And of course it needs to be things to do offline. But there is always a text that needs to be written, like I am writing this blog right now. And also it is a perfect time to do some tidying with your files. If you have Outlook you can spend an hour or two throwing away old saved e-mails that are completely out of date now.
   
   
3. Watch a movie. On long flight you are almost always offered to watch movies. Maybe they have a movie that you wanted to watch but never got to do while it was running. That happened to me the last time I was flying long distance. I got to see the movie Boyhood that only was up for a couple of weeks in my town. Made me happy to be able to see it and I liked it a lot.
   
   
4. Study other people. This is one of my favorites, not to watch others and judge but to just observe. I learn a lot about life and about my clients this way. It gives me a big “bank of situations and behavior” that is invaluable in my work.
   
   
5. Sleep. It is easy to get a bit drowsy by the sound in the cabin. It is a constant buzzing sound – you do get used to it but it affects your energy and concentration. Depending on the time of the day that you fly it is more or less useful to use the time for sleep. In any way you can’t sleep for 11 hours.
   
   
6. Walk around. This is a very healthy activity on a long distance flight BUT it is not much appreciated by the crew. They definitely want us to sit in our seats. But you can take a walk to the toilets at least a couple of times and if possible try to stay standing for some extra minutes. To get the effect you want/need from the walking around you have to do some moves with your feet and legs while sitting – shake them, wiggle as often as you can – preferably each 15 minutes while awake. This will also keep your mind more alert.
   
   

So now you know 6 activities you can do on a flight.

What is your best tip on staying sane on a long trip? Please comment below and share with me and my readers – I also love to get feedback and learn more.

To your success – and keep smiling!

About Author:

I am a medical doctor, specialized in family medicine and health promotion and strategies. I have been a medical doctor in the Public Health System in Sweden for 25 years. The last couple of years I have changed focus from disease to health and have specialized in health promotion, work assessment, systematic health environment and other business related issues to be able to get the whole picture for my clients.

For more information: http://www.askdrannika.com