Many of us experience motion sickness when traveling by car or boat, and we may even feel discomfort when taking elevators, subways, or high-speed trains. Playing 3D or VR games seems daunting.
For those who suffer from motion sickness, motorcycles and bicycles might be their preferred modes of transportation.
Just the thought of getting on a bus, or boat, or entering an elevator can make us trigger feelings of nausea and cold sweats. While we can choose to avoid certain games, in today's world with advanced transportation and smooth roads, it's impossible to avoid relatively enclosed modes of transport completely.
Everyone experiences different levels of symptoms; some may just have headaches, while others may feel so nauseous that they wish they could vomit their stomachs out.
In this article, we will introduce some methods to alleviate discomfort that do not involve medication. However, some of these methods lack scientific backing, and their effectiveness varies from person to person, but you can have a try.
What is motion sickness
Motion sickness is a condition that occurs when your eyes, inner ear, and body send conflicting signals to your brain.
For example, when you are sitting in a car and remain relatively still while the vehicle is in motion, you may experience symptoms such as headaches, nausea, vomiting, and cold sweats. This situation can be even worse if you are staring at your phone screen or a book in your hands.
Tips for managing motion sickness
1. Look out the window
Previously, we have learned that motion sickness is a physiological discomfort caused by our brain's misperception of motion.
Therefore, when taking transportation such as buses, we should not look at our phones or read. Move your eyes out the window, look at distant objects, and let your eyes move with the movement of the bus.
2. Close your eyes and relax
You can also choose to close your eyes, lean your head back against the seat, find a comfortable position, and slowly relax your mind. You may start to feel as if you are moving along with the vehicle. While this may not completely alleviate your discomfort, it can help you feel a bit better.
But when you are in an unfamiliar environment or public place, you need to maintain a bit of awareness and not let yourself relax so much that you completely fall asleep.
3. Distract your attention
After you close your eyes, if you find it difficult to relax, you can think about something else in your mind—anything at all. As your attention gradually shifts to the thoughts in your head, you may overlook some of the discomfort caused by motion sickness.
If you have acquaintances sitting next to you, you can chat with them. As you become more engaged in your conversation, you may realize afterward that you hardly felt the discomfort from motion sickness.
You can also distract yourself by listening to music, podcasts, or singing (when you're in a private vehicle), among other things.
4. Keep ventilation
Sometimes, the smells inside the vehicle can exacerbate the discomfort caused by motion sickness. Therefore, when conditions allow, you should keep the vehicle well-ventilated to disperse those odors.
When taking the bus, try to choose a window seat. Thus, you can open the window to breathe in fresh air while also making it easier to gaze into the distance.
5. Sitting in the Front Passenger Seat
If you have the option, you should choose to sit in the front passenger seat.
This position offers relatively more space, allowing your body to have more room to move and adjust to a more comfortable and relaxed posture.
The front passenger seat also provides a better view; even if your head is resting against the seat, you can still see the scenery ahead and feel the car’s movement and changes in direction. The sights in front of you also can help distract your attention effectively.
While it may not completely eliminate discomfort, it can alleviate some of the motion sickness you experience.
6. Bring ginger or orange peel
Placing ginger or orange peel under your nose to smell may help alleviate the discomfort caused by motion sickness. You can also place ginger on your belly button or chew on it for relief.
This method may not work for everyone, but you can try it a few times and adjust it according to your own specific situation.
7. Avoid excessive hunger or overeating
Both of these extremes can put a strain on your digestive system, which may increase the discomfort caused by motion sickness.
8. Massage acupressure points
If you feel nauseous and uncomfortable due to motion sickness, you can try massaging some acupressure points on your hands or head, which may provide relief.
Hegu point: Located on the back of the hand, between the index finger and thumb. You can place the first segment of your thumb between them, with the fingertip facing down, and massage it about thirty times, repeating for a few minutes.
Neiguan point: Located on the forearm. With your palm facing up, it is three finger widths away from the wrist crease. Use your thumb to gently massage this point about thirty times, repeating for a few minutes.
Baihui point: The intersection of the line connecting the two ears and the top of the head. Use your index and middle fingers to massage this point, moving in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions about thirty times, and repeat for a few minutes.
Temple point: The indentation about one finger width behind the outer corner of the eye. Use both thumbs to simultaneously massage both sides for a few minutes, which may help alleviate your discomfort.
The above are some measures to deal with the discomfort caused by motion sickness. They may not work for everyone, but you can try different methods to relieve this discomfort.
If it is very serious, we still recommend that you seek medical attention and seek professional advice in time.
If you have more tips, we encourage you to write them down or create a slideshow to share with others. Through these ways, people suffering from motion sickness will have more opportunities to seek even a little relief.
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