How to Occupy Yourself During a Long Flight

Long flights, even when you’re going to a far-flung sugary beach destination, can be boring as heck. You are stuck in a tin can in the sky that doesn’t even feel like it’s moving, with hundreds of other people who are all looking to get to the same destination. It’s cattle class and it’s not a fun way to travel. 

However, with a little bit of inspiration, there are so many ways that you can entertain yourself and pass the time quicker while you travel. Some people measure their time in a flight in terms of movie length. For example, if they have a 14 hour flight, they know they can cover at least four or five movies in that time. Not everybody wants to sit and stare at the back of a plane seat for 14 hours on end though, so you need to think of other ways that you can occupy yourself on a very long flight.

Having something to do to pass the time faster is going to help you to feel more relaxed. Whether you sit and play solitaire or you decide to read a book the entire way, there are ways that you can occupy yourself that make the long flight feel much shorter than it actually is. So let’s take a look at some suggestions on how you can keep yourself occupied and not lose your mind on a very long flight while you anticipate your arrival at your destination.

Image source: Pexels

Break out the electronics

One of the best things about travel right now is that the dimensions for your carry on are bigger than they used to be. This means that you can whip out your laptop and edit your trip pictures, especially if you’re on the tail end of your trip and you’re on your way home. If you are somebody who likes to blog your trip or put videos on YouTube, you can use this time to edit your videos and edit the photos so that they all come together. There may have been hundreds of photos that you took during your travels, so you can thin them down into the ones that truly matter, that reflect your time away.

You need to be able to have fun, even if you’re traveling by yourself. Did you bring along a handheld games console like a Switch or a Game Boy? Did you bring your iPad along where you have endless games of Sudoku or solitaire? Finding a way to play can help you to hack your brain into thinking that a miserable flight is a lot less miserable than it actually is. As long as the play that you are indulging in offers you a sense of engagement and pleasure, you’re going to have fun with it and the time will pass very quickly.

Fill your time with movies. Calculating the length of your flight versus the length of the movies that are available on your in flight entertainment screen can really help. For example, most long flights on airlines have Game of Thrones lined up. And if you are somebody who loves a Game of Thrones franchise, you know that each episode is around an hour long. You can get through at least two series being binge watched when you’re on a very long flight, so this way you can ensure that you have calculated how many episodes it takes to get to your destination and you’ll be able to have fun.

Get some work done. Some trips that are long are for work rather than for pleasure. If you have work that needs finalizing before you can really relax and enjoy yourself, do it now on this flight so that when you land you know that the work has been done. You can spend a few hours passing your time and clearing out A to do list that you put together. Having something that flows for a few hours can keep your brain occupied, but it also gives you a sense of relief knowing that when you land, half the work is already done.

Play video games. Not only can you indulge in Word searches and paper games in a book, you can indulge in video games. Downloading a few games or episodes onto a handheld device can keep you occupied and busy while you are flying .Just try to find a game where you don’t require a Wi-Fi or Internet connection because if you’re flying over international waters, that Internet connection won’t always be readily available to you.

Image source: Pexels

Podcasts

Download some podcast episodes. There are some fantastic podcasts out there that can make you feel empowered, and there are even some that have scary stories or funny stories. If you already have a favorite podcast or two, download a few episodes on your phone and listen to them whilst you travel. This will allow you to sit back, close your eyes and soak in some new information even when you’re relaxed. Pre loading those podcasts to match the length of the flight time also gives you enough podcast time even if you decide to interrupt your podcasts with other activities.

Read

Read and read some more! A physical book, or a Kindle, is a great way to relax on a flight. Not only can you sink yourself into the story of somebody else, but you can while away the hours in a good read. A good story really can help you to pass the time, especially if you’re the type of person who likes to read a book cover to cover when they crack the spine of a new one.

Write

Whether it’s a work travel journal or a personal journal, writing in a journal is going to help you to pass the time. You can clear your mind, organize your thoughts and distract yourself from any fear if you’re worrying about flying. Some people hate turbulence, for example, so you can use those turbulent moments to reflect back on the things that you’ve written in your journal to calm yourself down.