by Laurel Michaels

Created on: February 02, 2009   Last Updated: January 05, 2010

There is hardly a more varied crowd then that found in the cabin of an airplane. Whether you are a businessman or freelancer or student or homemaker, you have two things in common with your fellow flyers: your destination and the need to pass the time until you get there. What are some ways to spend the long hours?

PRODUCTIVE TIME

If you must be productive every waking moment, then the obvious choice is to spend your time getting caught up on work (or homework) on your laptop. With nothing to look at but clouds, the barf bag tucked in the seat pocket in front of you, or the side of your seat mate's wagging head as they try to nap, you are afforded a fairly distraction free environment. Bring along earplugs in case a loud talker or crying child makes it not so distraction free.

If you are travelling with your spouse, think twice about absorbing yourself in work for the whole flight. There is something about being suspended in the air that leads to introspective contemplation and your partner might want to share a thought or two with you.

If your work is such that you can't take it with you, or don't need to, consider yourself lucky. There are other productive things you can do on a long flight, with or without a laptop. If you have a website, be it work-related or not, you can write content for it, or for your blog, and post it when you get back. If you have a Facebook account, there is a page called "25 random things about yourself." You are supposed to list them, then invite your friends to list theirs too. For most people it's not easy to think up 25 things that are both random and interesting about themselves. A long flight is the perfect time to come up with them.

A long flight is a list maker's delight. A to-do list is deliciously methodical and can make idle time feel industrious. Make a list of spring cleaning tasks, songs to download, people to send Christmas cards to, blog topics, questions to research, goals to achieve, tasks for your spouse, things to teach your kids before they reach 18, well, you get the idea.

Bring a book on a topic that you've been meaning to learn more about. It's hard when we are home and surrounded by reminders of our daily tasks, to take the time to learn something new. Check out a book from the library on photography, or gardening, or Spanish, or Yoga, and use the long flight to enlighten yourself.

Take a nap. Yes, a nap is productive. You will feel more refreshed when you land and experience less jet-lag if you are rested.

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