How to Avoid Jet Lag Ft. Avani Museum Quarter Amsterdam

Wondering how exactly to beat jet lag? I’m sharing all the tips I should follow with each trip below!

Recently I had the chance to stay at the newly renovated Avani Museum Quarter Amsterdam and got to learn about their wellness initiatives from their new bedding to their exercise options both in room, in their gym, and nearby. It made me think about all the things I do to beat jet lag, so I thought I’d share them below with specific examples of what I did while staying at Avani.

Thanks to Avani Museum Quarter Amsterdam for invite!

A Step by Step Guide for Conquering Jet Lag Once You Arrive

1. Drink some water as soon as you can

Not to sound like a broken record, but I feel the strong need to reiterate this advice – stay hydrated!!! I’m not saying guzzle water like it’s your side hustle, but it’s so important to drink enough water that you’re not feeling dizzy or tired. On the plane I always try to sip on water and then as soon as I land I either fill up my reusable bottle or go to a convenience store (most airports have one right in the Arrivals section) and get a bottle. It seriously makes all the difference.

If you find yourself struggling with dehydration – especially if the plane is particularly warm and you’ve been low key sweating the whole flight – get salt or electrolyte tablets of some kind. I always pack nuun hydration tablets just in case but everyone I know loves liquid IV as well.

Avani- Specific Advice: If you get all the way here without managing to get some water, just know they The Pantry in the lobby where you can buy some. Or you can wait to check in and get a drink in your room.

2. Get as much light as possible

The next key to beating jet lag is to get as much natural light as humanly possible. Get in late and go right to bed? Start your morning by opening your curtains and letting the sun momentarily blind you! This will help a lot with staying awake and not napping for hours midday.

Avani- Specific Advice: Book one of their panoramic canal rooms. Like 100 of the rooms have a canal view but the panoramic one is really something to see. The views (above) are so pretty!

They also have a little garden space next to the hotel where you can go for some peace and quiet. Good option if you want to get some light but don’t feel like exploring just yet.

3. Do some yoga or light stretching

One of the things I really need to be better with is moving my body when I land somewhere new. I don’t necessarily mean going for a run or walk but just popping on a video and doing some yoga or stretching.

Our bodies need that flexibility practice especially after sitting cramped on a plane for hours. This year I really noticed that when I’m on a plane, I tend to not sit up properly, so it’s almost like I spend hours bent partially over and cramping all my organs together. It gives me backaches and does not help with digestion whatsoever.

Avani- Specific Advice: Take advantage of their in-room yoga mats. I unfurled mine, popped on a Move with Nicole video, and just stretched out by the window. Every TV has a yoga channel as well.

Depending on when you arrive, you might also be able to join a THIS.IS.EDEN dance meditation class. I was planning to join one but my dates didn’t match up with any of their class openings.

4. Drink some coffee or tea

Now my favorite part because there’s nothing I love more than an iced coffee or a hot cup of tea. I don’t know about you, but I take full advantage of the coffee and tea section in every hotel room I stay at. Usually I opt for the green tea.

Avani-Specific Advice: Since Avani is right by De Pijp, you can also head out to a cute café or even bubble tea spot. My friend took me to Tea Guys on my first trip and it hit the spot. It’s quite literally 5 minutes on foot!

5. Go for a walk and get to know your surroundings

Whatever you do, force yourself to go for at least a 5-10 minute walk once you settle in. Do it right before or after you’ve stretched out. I promise it helps, and I can also almost guarantee you’ll wind up wandering for more than those 5-10 minutes. Amsterdam especially is just postcard view after postcard view, so a 40 minute walk can fly by in the blink of an eye even in the dead of winter.

Avani-Specific Advice: As I mentioned, Avani is by De Pijp which means it’s also right by Albert Cuyp Markt. Perfect for a little stroll, getting some food, and people watching. You can also easily walk over to Museumplein for some park and museum views. Another option for the ambitious summer visitors is to join a SUP tour with Canal SUP. I… struggle to get on paddle boards, so this was a no for me.

6. Eat a solid dinner

If you get in midday or earlier always make sure you take time to eat something solid for dinner. Even if you’re not super hungry, you will be and trust me, waking up at 3:00 AM in a foreign country with a grumbling stomach is not fun.

Do double duty and find somewhere that serves your destination’s local cuisine. I feel like each time I’ve talked about Dutch food, I’ve mentioned De Blauwe Hollander as a lovely spot!

Avani-Specific Advice: If you’re not up to going out fully or making restaurant reservations, ask about The Pantry, which I mentioned above. All day they offer grab-and-go sandwiches and salads and then for dinner they bring in a chef who can make heartier dishes. If you go between 6:00 and 10:00 PM, you should be able to catch the chef doing a live cooking.

7. Make a plan for tomorrow

Once you’re in your room for the evening, I highly recommend making a plan for the next day if you haven’t already booked things in advance. For me, jet lag hits worse on Days 2 and 3, so having a solid plan to follow helps a lot. If I don’t have anything booked or written down, I wind up getting quite lazy and succumbing to a nap as soon as the afternoon hits.

Avani-Specific Advice: Check out the cute guides in each room if you’re still figuring out what to do. They have so much inspiration and cool ideas. I’d also check out my list of recommendations as well heh.

8. Don’t sleep until a normal bed time in your new time zone

Just reiterating this. Don’t go to sleep until your normal bed time. Fight the urge as much as possible! You can do it!!

9. The next morning, get up and break a sweat

Is this going to suck? Absolutely. But I cannot recommend just getting up early and breaking a sweat on your first full day. If you’re like me, actual exercise is going to fall to the way side pretty quickly. Most of my travels involve long days out and about, so by the time I have any downtime, I just want to veg out in bed. If I can squeeze in an actual work out the first day, I feel a lot better the rest of the week.

Avani-Specific Advice: Use their gym! It’s seriously so cute and has gotten even more updates since my visit. I’m a weight lifting fan, so I do a bit of cardio on the treadmill or elliptical and then look up some sort of arm and abs weight set online. (I avoid doing legs since I’ll be putting them through 20K+ steps a day).

10. Eat a solid breakfast

Can you tell I’m a huge proponent of eating lol? I personally need three square meals to properly function especially if I know it’ll be an active day. Just eat something hearty with protein so you’re not getting hangry or famished in the middle of a walking tour later on.

Avani-Specific Advice: Take advantage of their breakfast selections! For whatever reason I don’t have photos, but they had a whole buffet area and a menu you could order from ala carte. I also had to, of course, get the poffertjes as an extra treat. Are they hearty or healthy? No. Do they spark joy? Yes!

11. Go and out and stay out.

For your first full day make sure you go out and stay out. Do not think about returning to your hotel until after dinner. It might get hard in the early afternoon hours, but find a cafe and rally. This is crucial to beating jet lag. Do not give in to the nap!

Avani-Specific Advice: I mean, it’s called Avani Museum Quarter for a reason… Pre-book tickets to museums and tours. The Vincent Van Gogh Museum is right there and well worth it. You can also get to the Rijksmuseum very easily but I haven’t been yet.

Hopefully if you follow these steps, by your second full day, you should be fairly acclimated! However, depending on the season and time zone change, it might take an extra day or two. If you have any jet lag tips, let me know below!

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