16 Sep 2022
Do you know about different time zones in the world when it comes to living abroad? Many people in developing countries such as Pakistan travel to developed countries with strong economies and several other amenities such as better employment opportunities, excellent education quality, etc. Most Pakistanis prefer to travel to one of the most attractive expatriate destinations, the UK. The expatriates seek better employment opportunities to earn better than they do in Pakistan. They are the breadwinners of their families back home when they send money to Pakistan from overseas.
Although travelling to the UK or other countries for jobs and education is sometimes easy, one of the biggest worries is adjusting to the different time zones. That is the part of your efforts to adapt to the new culture, as it is different from the routines, including your sleep cycles and dietary habits, you are used to.
Therefore, it is essential to understand the time zones concerning your living abroad necessitated by your financial needs to earn and send remittances to Pakistan.
Typically, time zone refers to a set of things constituting a culture, as stated above, but if you narrow it down, it will come to the local time of a region or a country.
The algorithm at work behind time zones is that the world is divided into 360 longitudes, each one separated from the other by four (4) minutes. Therefore, if you multiply 360 by 4, you will get 1,440 total minutes in one day or 24 hours. 360*4=1440.
Now the difference between the time zones of your country of origin and the country you intend to move to as an expatriate will depend on how many longitudes the two countries are apart. With more numbers of longitudes, the time difference increases according to the calculation mentioned above.
Now, let’s try to understand the difference in time zones while living abroad.
It is appropriate to understand in the first place that adjusting to a different time zone is challenging indeed. And the tougher it gets if you have not prepared for it beforehand. Therefore, the logical approach to your preparation is to start from home well before you fly abroad.
Of course, you already know which country you are going to, and technology makes it easy for you to determine the time difference between your country of origin and the one you are going to. So, about a month before your flight is scheduled, try to sleep half an hour early or later than your routine timings.
It will be challenging to adjust to an entirely new sleeping and waking schedule amidst all that strengthens your bond with your already established routine. But working hard in your comfort zone will make it easy for you to adjust to the new country as soon as you land there. Going unprepared in a different time zone will give you a tough time. Apart from other activities, there’s one thing that you can do regardless of the time, be it morning, day, evening, or night. You can send money to Pakistan online anytime your family needs it using a trusted service partner such as ACE Money Transfer.
You must rest for three days before the flight if you want to feel rested and relaxed after your flight. It is highly recommended that you do your packing well before your departure date. It does not imply that you get bedridden as soon as the departure date draws closer. It only means that you must keep your activities to a bare minimum. And these minimum activities will indeed cover your last-minute remaining and unattended preparations.
These substances keep you awake for long hours at a stretch and stress out your body by making it difficult for your body to adjust to the circadian rhythm. It all combines and makes you feel tired and exhausted when you arrive.
You should cut back on these substances for at least three days before your flight. Besides, avoiding heavy meals for a couple of days before the flight is also better as your body uses heavy meals as part of its circadian rhythm. It will help you adjust more quickly.
Medical science has proved that a hydrated body adjusts to a new sleep schedule more quickly and easily. You must take about eight glasses of water daily for two weeks preceding your flight. Before going to a different time zone, you need to make sure that your body begins to feel hydrated.
An aircraft cabin's atmosphere is dry and will dehydrate you quickly. Keep your body hydrated during the flight, and do not worry about answering nature’s call! You need to take care of your body and ensure it is hydrated; for other needs, the aircraft will serve you!
It is vital to keep an eye on when you will arrive in the new country. If you are coming in the early morning, try to sleep during the flight. If you are arriving in the evening, try not to sleep and put in a little more effort to stay awake.
You can stay up by stretching, walking down the aisles, or listening to a podcast or music. Books can also be of help, but bear in mind that book reading is recommended to the ones struggling with insomnia! Of course, working this hard to stay up will exhaust you, and you will arrive exhausted to retire to bed at the exact hour of the new time zone. This is the best start for your transition.
After landing, you should reset your watch and the handy gadgets you carry along. And besides, keep thinking about your new schedule according to the new time zone. It will help you with your psychological adjustment.
For a quick transitional and a fast adjustment, try to avoid taking short naps or heavy meals if you plan to retire to bed early. Instead, ensure you do what the locals do at that particular hour.
If you arrive in the morning, take a brief morning walk. The sunlight, plenty of oxygen at that time and breakfast will help your body regulate its rhythm. However, if you arrive at night, have a small, light snack and return to bed immediately!
If you cannot fall asleep initially in the new time zone, try taking some melatonin doses. This hormone in the body regulates your sleep cycle and is released in the dark, and its release makes you feel sleepy. For international transitions, carry this supplement with you, as many countries do not offer this supplement over the counter and quickly.
Following the abovementioned steps will help you adjust quickly and conveniently to the new time zone. And a faster adjustment will help you act more efficiently and add to your creativity. It will help you get employed and earn better and achieve the goal for which you’ve moved abroad. As a Pakistani expat, your primary purpose for migrating overseas would be better financial support to the family back home. You can quickly do it every month or at any time of need by making a swift online money transfer to Pakistan using ACE Money Transfer, which is economical, safer, and the fastest money transfer service.
