I have been flying since I was young and took my first trip to Disney World. I don’t remember my first flight specifically, but I am sure I watched movies or slept the entire flight. Since then the trips I have been on have included longer flights across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Therefore I have needed more ways to entertain myself rather than watching movies for 6 hours.
There are many ways to make a flight feel quick you just have to be prepared. Here are some of the ways in which I pass time on my flights, wherever I am going.
Starting a new book. One of the best ways to keep yourself occupied for hours when flying is to dive into a new book. I have never been the biggest reader myself but since recently I have been enjoying passing my time with a good novel. Some people may say that reading on a plane is difficult with the surrounding sounds and possible turbulence your may experience, but I find that a good set of headphones can help block out the sounds and get you to enjoy your book.
Listening to Your Favorite Playlist. Music is one of my favorite things to listen to in the car, on a plane, in my room, and even studying. I find that listening to music on a flight helps to calm the mind from possible flying stress or to help me fall asleep on a longer flight. Every time I listen to my vacation or car playlist on the plane ride, the flight time is always cut in half.
Journaling. Taking the time out of your day often to write down your thoughts is important for your mental health. Bringing your journal on vacation is beneficial to keeping track of things you enjoyed and how you were feeling on your trip. Sometimes stress and anxiety can be best avoided when writing down what you are thinking or feeling at the moment. I know from people who have flying stress that journaling does help them feel better.
Getting Ahead on Work or School Assignments. I have only ever come to this choice once, when I had an assignment due and it did help me pass the time. For someone who has to work on a vacation or has a long flight, catching up on assignments can help you be productive on a long flight.
Taking a Nap. Sleeping on a long or short flight is one of my favorite ways to pass the time. When I was flying to Italy, I slept almost the entire flight over, which also helped me catch up to the time difference once I arrived. Napping on a flight is also one of the best ways to insure that you do not get jet-lag once you land at your destination.
Make a Future Meal Plan. People are always trying to find time to create a diet based meal plan but seem to never have the opportunity with such busy schedules. A long flight creates an opportunity to make a meal plan for when you get back home. All you need is a calendar and your best healthy recipe ideas to make a rough draft plan.
Watching a Short Show Series. While my goal is to do other things rather than watching television or movies on a flight, a short tv series can definitely pass the time. Since almost all streaming services have the downloadable option it would be easy to watch a short 10-episode season over a long flight.
Try Out New Apps. I love finding new apps to use on my Apple devices. Download a bunch of apps you would want to try out on your devices and take the time to play around with them on your flight. I have always spent hours exploring new apps I want to use and wasting away time at home that could be more productive. Using the time on a flight is the perfect way to explore new apps while not wasting valuable time.
Going Through Photos or Emails. So many of my friends and family members have over a thousand emails in their inbox that they never have time to go through. A plane ride that provides wifi is a great time to clear out your emails. And going through your photos can also pass time by clearing out duplicates or pictures you meant to delete. Things that you never have time for are a great way to pass the time on a flight.
Flying to your next destination can be a productive or enjoyable ride based on how you spend your time. My favorite ways to spend my time on a plane is either watching a tv show, listening to music, or reading. The only way to make time pass is to spend it doing something you like. So, take the time to plan ahead and you will be landing for your next journey in no time.
Omg I’m so glad I read this! I love the meal prep idea and I’ll definitely be doing that on my next flight 🙂