Six Ways to Prevent Motion Sickness

How to Not Let Motion Sickness Spoil Your Trip:

Now let’s delve into the real reason many don’t travel. It’s not money. It’s not lack of interest. It isn’t harsher visa restrictions based on nationality. It’s the extreme reluctance to having to board a vomit machine to get to your destination. (Okay, those other things may be a factor too) I feel your pain on a personal level so here are some tips and products and ways to prevent motion sickness so you can step into your next adventure with a happy stomach.

 

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What is motion sickness? What causes it?

Before we get into the ways to prevent motion sickness, let’s talk about what it even is. The two most common symptoms of motion sickness are nausea and vomiting. This happens as a result of your brain getting conflicting information on your body’s movements. Basically, your inner ear can sense you are on a rolling boat or a moving plane but your eyes don’t see what is causing this movement. So naturally this happens:

Not everyone suffers from this but if you are one of the unlucky few here are six ways to prevent motion sickness:

Natural Methods

Ginger

One tried and true method of naturally dealing with nausea is munching on some ginger. How it does its magic I don’t know but reports far and wide concur that ginger is able to provide relief from gastric rebellion. An added bonus is there are a variety of ways you can consume ginger. Raw ginger, dried ginger, ginger tea, ginger capsules, ginger candy, etc. The next time nausea strikes you on your journey sip on a nice hot cup of ginger tea.

 

Occupy Your Mind

Take your mind completely off your stomach and the movements of whatever mode of transportation you are in. Do not read! This is the only situation where a good book will be your downfall. Instead, stick your headphones in and lose yourself in the music. This is a method that I’ve tried and I can confirm that it works. I still felt a bit uncomfortable but I was able to get through that boat ride without racing towards the edge.

• Downside: If you are traveling solo and don’t plan on making a new friend during the ride then spending the whole time listening to The 1975 is no problem. But maybe you’re traveling with friends then you would probably like to enjoy the trip with them. So this tip is probably better suited to solo travelers or those traveling with people they don’t like.

Take The Wheel

If you’re hitting the great open road and traveling by car then being in the driver’s seat will ensure you don’t get nauseous. If you’re a passenger then it helps to sit in the front seat where you can see the horizon and track the movements of the car. Don’t hesitate to roll down those windows and breathe in that fresh air. If you’re riding on a bus, grab that window seat and take advantage of every pit stop to get out and take a break on something that doesn’t move, the ground.

Pick The Right Seat

If you’re traveling by train then make sure you pick a seat facing the direction the train will be traveling. If you have motion sickness you have enough to worry about while rattling and jerking down the tracks. There is no reason to do all that backward on top of it. If you are traveling by plane and you can choose your seat then spring for a window seat over the wing. This is the most stable part of the plane and from personal experience, I can tell you that a combination of music and being able to see outside did the trick.

Pressure Points

Now I can’t attest to the effectiveness of this method because I have never tried it but I’m told that motion sickness wristbands can be a lifesaver. A small bit of plastic puts pressure on a certain point in your wrist which should give you relief. Give it a try and let me know how it goes!

When All Else Fails…Drugs.

Now let’s keep it all the way real. If motion sickness has wreaked the kind of havoc in your life that it has mine then you need drastic measures. I have spent fours of a six-hour flight sitting in my seat with my head in a trash bag. I have ended up passed out on the floor twice (you don’t want to know). Motion sickness made traveling a nightmare for me and trust me I see the irony in the thing I love making me miserable.

So eventually I had to look pass natural methods and luckily I stumbled on medicine that must have been concocted in heaven’s lab. Rugby Travel Sickness Tablets are the little pink chewables that save my life. Since I started carrying these around the only times I have dealt with motion sickness are the times my absent-minded bobble-head forgot to take them. They have been tested on boats, planes, cars, and trains and I been able to get on and off each with my lunch still in my stomach. They are the most important tool in my travel arsenal.

**Note: Of course everyone’s body is different and I am no doctor. If your motion sickness is truly severe go to a medical profession and see what they prescribe.**

There You Have It!

My six ways to prevent motion sickness. Motion sickness can be pretty debilitating and will turn an enjoyable trip into an awful one. I have battled motion sickness for as long as I can remember. For years I have dreaded even going near a boat. All but one of these methods has helped me and trust me I wouldn’t lie to you about something as serious as this. I hope these tips can end your suffering. Check out my resource page for more of my travel essentials!

Happy Travels!