So the August bank holiday is upon us, you’re just back to London from holidays and yet somehow jet lag has undone all that relaxation… To make matters worse, you thought you could maximise your time on the beach by landing from the long haul flight and heading straight to the office!

Jet lag is caused by a disruption to your circadian rhythm – otherwise known as our ‘body clock’. The main chemical that keeps that rhythm running to schedule is melatonin, a hormone secreted by the brain’s pineal gland. More melatonin means your body gets ready for bed, and vice versa. That’s why common jet lag remedies – to be taken at night - contain the melatonin hormone.

The common rule of thumb is to allow one day per hour of time difference crossed in order to fully recover. But telling the boss you need a full week to recover from your holiday in Thailand isn’t going to fly, so you end up resorting to a combination of sleeping tablets, coffee, and tactical naps, which may just end up prolonging the problem.

Jet lag affects people very differently: for some it’s a minor annoyance, but for others it can disrupt routine for days, causing fatigue and digestive upsets, memory lapses, insomnia, irritability and lethargy. There’s also the problem of swollen legs and feet – not really a jet lag symptom, but certainly a symptom of long flights.

Why not consider a massage to help the process? If your problem is sleeping, you could come for an evening aromatherapy massage, we can use a combination of calming essential oils and if you take a taxi home you could even drop straight into bed. If it’s staying awake that’s the problem, then a head, neck back and shoulder massage during the day might do the trick, leaving you wide awake and refreshed.

As for the swelling in feet and legs, they’re swollen because your body’s lymphatic system hasn’t been able to drain away the excess fluid from your lower extremities while you’ve been sitting upright on the plane. Massage assists with the process of lymphatic drainage and can help reduce the swelling.

Failing all that, you might not be jet lagged at all, but what better excuse do you need for a massage!