The Pro's Guide to Jet Lag and Culture Shock

Jet Lag
You know the symptoms: lethargy, dehydration, disturbed sleep and trouble concentrating. Doctors call the condition "circadian dysrhythmia," while the rest of the world knows it as "jet lag."  It occurs when your built-in clock is out of sync with the outside environment, upsetting your bodily functions. Jet lag has been blamed for athletes losing competitions, politicians blundering in international relations and business people blowing major deals.  Most people, including flight crews, succumb to in some form.

Dr. Claude Thibeault, Air Canada's senior director of occupational health services, frequently advises Air Canada employees on how to cope with jet lag.  According to Dr. Thibeault, there is no magical fix for everyone, but measures can be taken to minimize the effects of jet lag.  And much of the solid advice he offers flight crews can also be applied to passengers.

Before the flight, Dr. Thibeault recommends plenty of rest. Many passengers think they can catch up on their sleep during the flight but it doesn't always work out that way.  For a night departure, consider taking a nap for 1½ to two hours in mid-afternoon, which is a low period in your circadian rhythm.

On the day of your flight, show up early, wear comfortable clothing and good walking shoes, and have everything you'll need, such as tickets and passports, readily at hand. Airports are getting larger and more congested, so they can present a real challenge to passengers who are running behind schedule.

During the flight, get a comfortable as possible.  Take off your tie, loosen your shoes or, better yet bring slipper socks.  One common strategy is to avoid alcohol and drink lots of water, as this reduces dehydration.  Consuming water is so important that members of flight crews are given an extra litre for every eight hours of duty.

Passengers can also follow the example of flight crews by stimulating their circulation during the flight.  If you see a pilot walking down the aisle, don't be alarmed, as the pilot is probably just limbering up.  Say "Hello," and you may just end up visiting the flight deck.  At the very least, be sure to get out of your seat, if only to walk to the
washroom.  "Studies have clearly demonstrated that the most successful technique for combating sleepiness is physical activity," says Dr. Thibeault.  You can also keep alert by reading, playing a game or conversing.

Once you arrive, your ideal sleep schedule depends on the length of your stay in the new time zone.  If you are staying for only a day or so, as is the case with most crew layovers, it's better to keep close to your sleep schedule at home.  But if you're staying longer, you should heed the motto "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."  Change your watch to the new time and try to adapt your sleeping habits accordingly.  One day of recovery time is usually needed for each time zone crossed.

Dr. Thibeault suggests that if you don't fall asleep in 20-30 minutes, you should get out of bed so as not to associate bed with sleeping problems. Get up and read or watch TV, but don't use alcohol as a sleeping aid, because it upsets the natural sleep patterns.  Incidentally, you don't necessarily need one long sleep; two separate periods of deep sleep can be just as refreshing.

The best way to ensure a sound sleep is to optimize your sleeping environment.  Set a comfortable temperature, preferably on the cool side.  Darken the room - wear a mask if necessary - and shut out any noise by using earplugs.  Some crew members even refuse to take rooms near the elevators and ice machines.

Working out can also help take the bite out of jet lag.  Studies have shown that people who are fit tend to overcome jet lag faster than those who are not.  Some members of flight crews make a point of heading to the gym during their layovers.  It is a good idea, however, to avoid strenuous exercise immediately before sleep.

Everyone gets jet lag; it is a matter of personal difference as to how long you suffer after the flight.  The most effective approach to fight it may be to combine multiple strategies rather than to rely on a single one.  Take your cue from flight crews who are veteran troops in the war against jet lag, and keep the traveler’s enemy at bay.  Doug Morris is an airline pilot who has suffered from "circadian dysrhythmia" on more than one occasion.

Culture Shock

An intercultural experience is a powerful personal teacher that forces you to realize new things about others and about yourself. Indeed, the greatest shock may not be in dealing with a different culture, but in recognizing how your own culture has shaped you. You realize the extent of your culture's influence as you leave it and then try to reenter it smoothly.

This difficulty can also be called role shock, or the shock of self-discovery. Many times what is really shocking to people is not the new culture, but rather the change in roles they must assume.

This phase can also be characterized as "culture fatigue," something like battle fatigue. You simply get tired of not being home in comfortable circumstances. In spite of our ability to cope on a daily basis or in specific cases, you experience general stress.

"It's Starting to Make Sense"

The first sign of your transition through this critical phase is the return of your unconscious sense of humor. (If you haven't lost it, the adjustment is much more rapid.) You enter the third phase when you begin to recognize communicative cues: people's facial expressions, actions, and tones. And you begin to piece together a pattern of behaving and living. Mastering a working knowledge of the language, you begin to communicate more effectively. As you increase your familiarity and knowledge, you find yourself getting through each day with greater ease.

Many government and private organizations specialize in preparing Americans to adjust to their intercultural experience. Several such programs suggest to their participants that to be adequate "culture shock absorbers," they must first develop self-awareness - an understanding of their own feelings and cultural patterns, of what offends or confuses them, and of why they feel dissatisfied. The visitors should suspend judgment about conditions they find unpleasant or confusing until they learn more about the people and the reasons these people think and act as they do. The recovery stage progresses rapidly as visitors begin to empathize with the natives of the host culture. They imaginatively meet each challenging or perplexing situation, and are concerned more with gaining new insights and friends than with feeling uncomfortable about their inadequacies or the country's seeming oddities. They remember who "the foreigner" really is. It is in this phase that real learning begins.

"I Understand and Enjoy"

The final phase can carry you through your stay abroad and your return home. Now that you are willingly adjusting to the new culture, you can accept it as just another way of living. It does not mean that you are enthusiastic about everything the people do or about the way they do it; it does mean that you can accept and understand the differences. You still have moments of strain and times of misunderstanding, but you begin to feel more comfortable and will genuinely enjoy yourself. Some people take to other cultures more quickly than others. Also, you may adapt more quickly to one culture than to another. The more a culture differs

Fatigue

During the first few months of your stay in Japan you may find yourself inexplicably tired. This is a normal adjustment to your new surrounding. Take care of yourself during the first few months so you will not get run-down. Be aware that fatigue can greatly influence your outlook on your new situation. - New AETs should spend a lot of time smiling, resting and absorbing a lot during the first few weeks. Once you adjust to your surroundings and work environment, things will go a lot smoother.

Value Systems

'Try as much as possible to accept the Japanese on their terms. Reserve judgment, or at least keep it to yourself. Readize that there is a valid reason for nearly everything ... I often find it helpful to put things in perspective by considering
whether or not it is really any better in America. Most often it is not."

"We often come to our assignments with grand hopes for doing good works, but end up frustrated in our attempts to realize them. In these cases we have failed to understand either our towns needs or the new idea. Specifically, we often try to do too much too quickly, too directly. It is difficult to be sensitive to or aware of such thiings, especially if one is unfamiliar with Japanese culture. Indeed, after having been here for two years I often do not know how best to proceed."

" . . . Draw on all of your patience and tolerance since the value syswrns are so very different than what you are accustomed to. Your personal values will be challenged often. Patience, patience, patience. Try hard to build a good rapport with the children. After all, that's a major part of why we're here. We have been hired to assist in the education of the community's young people. You will also teach and learn by example from/with your coworkers."

"My experience and personal opinion is that most foreign teachers complain too much and dwell on the problems. They create a negative experience by forgetting all the treasured moments they have every day. Try to maintain a perspective by remembering that you are and always will be a foreigner here. What would it be like for a young Japanese person to go to a similar community in our country?"