All my friends are abandoning me for Christmas. Well OK, not all of them but enough of them to make me a little bit bitter and jealous. Despite this, in the spirit of the season (good will to all men and all that), I’ve been looking into some holistic jet lag cures so you lucky jetsetters can make the most of your holiday downtime.

1. Sleep. A good sleep the night before you travel is essential. Switch off your phone, drink some warm milk and wallow in the bath with a few drops of lavender added. Take some ear plugs and an eye mask so you can snooze during the flight.

2. Herbs and teas. Try chamomile, valerian, daisy, arnica and club mosses. Avoid coffee and alcohol when flying (yes, boring I know – one glass of champagne probably won’t hurt). Peppermint tea will help you digest that stodgy plane food and chamomile tea may help you drift off. If you’re pregnant, check with your doctor before taking any herbs or supplements.

3. Water. Staying hydrated is essential but some of us forget to drink water when we fly. Keep bugging the crew and, if you can, ask them to leave a large bottle of water with you rather than half filling those tiny plastic cups.

4. Keep moving. Do a yoga or pilates class the day before, move about on the plane as much as possible and when you get to your destination, take a long walk. This will not only prevent deep vein thrombosis – staying active will also help you stay awake until your body can attune to the local time zone.

5. Massage. Any excuse, but massage stimulates the lymphatic drainage system, helping your body eliminate toxins, release tension in the muscles, and combat puffy eyes and ankles.

Happy holidays. Have fun in Bali, NZ, Europe etc and make sure you bring me back a present. Bah Humbug…