On The Road: 5 Ways To Avoid Car Sickness

Making the most of being a passenger on the road…

It wouldn’t be summertime without tasting the open road and, though a sufferer of motion sickness, I was determined to make my weekend trip to North Carolina a beautiful one. If you’re at all like me, you know how miserable the experience can be, so prevention is key. Here’s how I’m doin’ it.

Shotgun! If you are a passenger, call it quick and conquer the front seat. Sitting in the back can confuse what you are seeing and feeling. A front seat offers you a clear view of what’s to come, and your body relating to that view keeps you in sync.

*Tip*: If you’re up for driving, go for it. It’ll give you the benefit of focus, which can distract you from sickness.

Horizon Time. Maintain focus for your eyes, inner ear and nerves. If you are prone to car sickness, in the curvy mountains, really concentrate on that point.

*Tip: Look out the side windows once every ten minutes for a good view. If something exciting looks like it’s coming up, take a peek, but limit your motion with your head, and keep as still as possible.

Breathe. Keep the air conditioning on, and flowing strong throughout the car. Any time I feel nauseous, I crank up the cool air and breathe. It calms any sick feeling, and keeps me from sweating and overheating. Slow, deep breaths will relax you and reduce anxiety and butterflies, which only make car sickness worse.

*Tip: Put the windows down and open the sunroof to create a cross-breeze and circulation throughout the car.

Distract Wisely. Concentrating on some sort of visual entertainment will create car sickness quickly. Instead of reading a magazine or book, keep your eyes on the horizon, and prepare a music playlist that will keep your interest.

*Tip: Audio books are a road trip lifesaver. They are the best distraction, and push you to look forward while keeping your mind engaged.

Consume. Lots of water. Being dehydrated increases the chances of car sickness and will make the symptoms much worse. Choose snacks that aren’t greasy or full of strong smells. Plan ahead and pack some granola, fresh fruit and veggies, and skip out on the fast food.

*Tip: Ginger has always helped soothe my belly on a trip. Pack some ginger tea or lozenges to sip or suck on slowly throughout the trip.

+ What tips do y’all have to prevent car sickness? Let’s start a list for our wanderlusting friends in the comments below! 

Follow FP Madisyn on Instagram + take a peek at her blog!

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7 years ago

Ginger tea is magic for a tumbling tummy on the road! Audio books are a great choice, because I love reading but reading in the car will cause me to feel… really bad, really fast. Super jealous of those that manage it on the regular. I also try to have my camera out a lot when we are on a road trip because I find that looking for cool road shots takes my mind off of feeling sick.

Ev
7 years ago
Katherine
7 years ago

I’ll be using these on my trip next month. Much more natural and better then medication. Thanks.

Bri
7 years ago

Peppermint and eucalyptus oil have helped me on boats and car rides. Just a little under the nose and on your temples will do the trick.

7 years ago

Love this, thanks for sharing :)

x
StephC

http://sstephcc.blogspot.com/

7 years ago

Oh thank you so much for sharing this! I get really bad car sickness, but I love to travel. I hate taking motion sickness meds cause they make you sleep. So you miss out on all the awesome surroundings. Music always helps me. I’m gonna have to give audio books a try. I love reading, and am very jealous of the people who are able to in a car.

Anonymous
7 years ago

I rub chamomile and lavender essential oil on my belly, drink chamomile+ginger tea, and take a homeopathic for calming my system. I have learned over the years of my extremely intense motion sickness that the more calm my nervous system is, the better I am able to handle the ride (and the less severe the nausea). calming the nerves and ginger! that’s what works for me. I hope this helps someone :)

Anonymous
7 years ago

peppermint tea does wonders!

7 years ago

Thanks for sharing the helpful tips! Since I’m going to be suck in the car for 4 hours in a few weeks these tips will come in handy!
http://livingblissfullybalance.weebly.com/

Holly
7 years ago

Suck on strong pepermints helps! And definitely keeping the car cool

Annika
7 years ago

Thanks for the tips! Breathing deeply works for me too. As well as sleeping. But that’s not always the best option if you want to see what’s outside ofcourse.
Another tip mother gave me is to not eat or drink sour things before you leave. When I travel by car I always make sure that I don’t eat yoghurt or drink orange juice that morning. And I feel it really works.

7 years ago

Thank you for this post! I’m travelling cross country in a few days and I suffer from motion sickness so I will most definitely be using all of these tips…desperate to try anything that works. And the less medicine I have to use…the better!