How To Cope With Travel Sickness: My Journey

Travel sickness, motion sickness, whatever you may call it, it is a curse that takes away half the fun from wanderlust. If you have never experienced any kind of motion sickness whatsoever, whether on a Ferris wheel or on a drive up a hill, consider yourself extremely lucky. The rest of you, I feel your pain because I have suffered from many an arduous journey myself. Here are a few of the things I have learnt over the years about coping with travel sickness, hopefully, my fellow sufferers will find these tips useful too.

1. Over The Counter Medication – If you suffer from extreme travel sickness then I would highly recommend asking a doctor for a prescription. Over the counter drugs work way better than natural remedies when the sickness gets out of hand. Make sure to go through the list of side effects and dosage instructions. If the medicine needs to be taken after a meal then make sure to eat before you take it, otherwise, it may have quite the opposite effect.
2. Audio Books/ Music – No matter what you do, do not read a book or look at your cellphone during a long and winding journey. Sometimes, you may not even be comfortable talking to others when you have a queasy feeling in your stomach. Carry some good music or an audio book to keep you distracted and entertained. Do inform your co-travellers regarding your woes so that they don’t think you are being rude and help out if the need arises.
3. Eat Some Chips – Believe it or not, if you have a long drive ahead, it may help to eat foods that absorb liquids, for example, potato chips or bread. Refrain from drinking too much water and definitely stay away from sodas, milkshakes and other dairy products. Pardon me for being gross, but the less slush in your tummy, the better. This will help in keeping your food down and will reduce the chances of you actually getting sick.
4. Candies and Mints – If the lack of liquids makes you feel dehydrated then try sucking on some hard boiled sweets or mints to keep generating the saliva. If you have the stomach for it, then go for some candy with ginger extracts because the root is known to prevent sea sickness. You can go for lemon candy too, it is your day to forget your diet for a few hours and indulge in these unhealthy foods. At least there is some benefit of travel sickness!
   
5. Always Carry A Bag – No matter how long the journey, always carry a bag to keep things under control. If you do not have a bag, you will worry throughout your journey about getting sick, and that is the last thing you should have on your mind. As hard as it may seem, think of something else, anything else. Sleeping helps some people but worsens the situation for others. Stay calm and breathe, this too shall pass!

   These are the tips that have helped me the most in my struggle with travel sickness. Hopefully, you will find these helpful too. Remember, the more you travel, the more your body gets used to fighting travel sickness. So, make sure that the fear of travel sickness does not turn into the fear of travelling!

   XoXo,

   Mrinalini