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Some travellers say jet lag is all in the mind. But have they ever done the long-haul to Hong Kong or a red-eye to Rome?

Jet lag is the very physical result of racing around the world faster than your body clock and normal patterns of activity can keep pace, often leaving you vaguely disoriented, weary and cranky for days.

Adding insult to injury, cost-conscious airlines are jamming seats closer together and going no-frills on service. If you want to follow my advice to eat lightly and drink lots of water, you may have to bring your own supplies. Even walking in the aisle and stretching are being discouraged by security-conscious flight attendants, who may shoo you back into your seat.

Research on jet lag is surprisingly scarce, so in my 20 years of travel I have found some tricks by trial and error that seem to help:

See the light

Movement, fresh air and light on arrival help to reset the body clock. You can buy high-tech goggles designed to trick your body into thinking night is day, but they're expensive and not all that convenient to use. The low-tech solution is to resist the urge to snooze when you arrive, but rather get out in daylight, even if it's a cloudy day, and take a walk.

Melatonin at bedtime

A host of sleeping pills and herbal formulations claim to ease jet lag if taken before departure and en route. But they have potential side effects, among them leaving you even groggier on arrival. An option that helps is melatonin, only recently available for sale in Canada. If taken at the proper bedtime in my new locale, I have found that it helps me fall sleep and avoid waking up in the middle of the night when it's morning back home in Canada.

Valuable vitamins

A time-release Vitamin C tablet and a single 400-International-Unit cap of Vitamin E before a flight keeps fatigue-producing molecules known as free radicals from building up in cells.

Stay stimulated

Giving your nerves a little stimulation and getting blood flowing in your muscles seems to help reset the circuit breakers. The most remarkable wake-up I've ever had after an interminable flight was in a massage studio in the waiting room of Bangkok's airport, where skilled masseuses administered an early-morning massage and reflexology treatment (yes, with clothes on). The price for 30 minutes was $10.

You can do a version in your plane seat. Use your thumb and forefingers to massage your temples and the back of your neck and shoulders with circular motions. Take off your shoes, if possible, and do the same to the soles of your feet.

And don't forget to move around. Ignore the evil eyes; a regular stretch during the flight keeps the blood flowing and relieves muscle aches and swelling.

You booze, you lose

Drink water or juice. Alcohol will leave you woozy and dehydrated. Caffeine and sugary drinks stimulate when you should be relaxing.

Reset your watch

Try to think in terms of the time at your destination. And plan an easy schedule on the day you arrive to alleviate anxiety.

You're not home free

Jet lag can actually be worse after you've subjected your body to a second set of insults. Remember to use the same defences for the return flight. Both your body and your mind will thank you.