If you're like many busy adults, you may be so focused on getting dinner on the table and meeting work deadlines that you don't often have time to stop and think big picture. Use a long flight to relax and center yourself. Try sitting up straight with your feet on the floor and your hands resting loosely on your knees. Scroll through your MP3 player for some soothing music and close your eyes. Breathe deeply as you try to clear your mind or focus on some phrase you find comforting or significant. Take some time to consider what goals you'd still like to accomplish, and jot down ideas for things you can do to make your life more pleasurable or meaningful. You might find you step off the plane at your destination with a new outlook.
Those tasks you've been putting off might look more palatable when you're bored and looking for anything to do. Catching up might mean reading old work reports to prepare for your business trip or drafting letters to friends with whom you've lost touch. Brainstorm ideas for holiday presents for family members, or sketch out the first few chapters of the novel you've been meaning to write. You might even use this time to organize your computer files, run software to make your computer run faster or arrange all your digital photos into folders by year. Whatever you've been meaning to get to but never seem to have time for, use these captive hours to work on.
That complicated Russian novel is probably best left on your nightstand. On a long flight, the best way to make hours fly by is by tuning into something that wholly captures your attention. If you're flying on an airline with individual seat-back screens, you'll have a choice of movies and TV shows to choose from; even still, a handheld DVD player or laptop with long battery life is an asset. Ideally you'll have at least three must-love movies with you. Pick favorite comedies or your favorite flicks from childhood. A paperback thriller, stack of gossip magazines or book of crossword or Sudoku puzzles might also hold your attention. For when your eyes need a rest, fill your MP3 player with new episodes of favorite podcasts, or buy the audio version of a new book by a favorite author. You could listen to an entire novel between takeoff and landing.
Narrow aisles and cramped seats aside, it is possible to keep somewhat active on a long flight. Moving around midair isn't just about keeping yourself entertained. Potentially dangerous blood clots can form when you sit in your airplane seat for too long; flights lasting eight to 10 hours or longer are the most dangerous, according to the American Society of Hematology. Every few hours, take five minutes to do leg stretches. Lift your knees up and down, move your ankles in circles and flex your feet. If you're not too self-conscious, you might even do a few yoga poses while waiting at the end of the aisle for a bathroom to open up. Deep knee bends and shoulder rolls will make the return to your sitting position feel less painful.
