Overcoming Jet Lag for Meetings

You've just landed in Singapore after a 14-hour flight. Your body thinks it's 2 AM, but your calendar says you have a pitch meeting in an hour. Most people power through with coffee and willpower. They usually fail. Jet lag is a physiological condition, not a weakness. Here is the science-backed way to perform when your circadian rhythm is broken.

The "Buffer Day" Rule

The Mistake: Scheduling a high-stakes meeting on the day you land.

The Fix: Always fly in 24 hours early. Use this buffer day to get sunlight (which resets your internal clock) and acclimate. If your company won't pay for the extra hotel night, explain that the cost of a botched meeting is far higher than $200.

East vs. West: The Strategy

Not all jet lag is created equal. Traveling East (New York to London) is harder than traveling West (London to New York) because it requires you to advance your internal clock (go to sleep earlier), which is harder for the body than delaying it.

The Caffeine Protocol

Caffeine is a tool, not a crutch. Using it wrong makes jet lag worse.

• When to drink it: Only in the morning of your new timezone. This signals to your brain that the day has started.
• When to stop: 10 hours before your intended bedtime. Caffeine has a quarter-life of 12 hours. If you drink it at 4 PM to "power through," you are destroying your sleep quality for the night, creating a debt you can't pay back.

Tech That Actually Works

Forget old wives' tales. Use Timeshifter. It's an app based on NASA research used by astronauts and F1 drivers. It tells you exactly when to see light, when to avoid light (wear sunglasses), and when to drink coffee based on your specific flight plan. It works.