On a Friday Evening my husband and I got this fantastic idea to travel to Westman Islands (Vestmannaeyjar); neither of us had been there before. The night before I dreamt that I was on the main island, another reason for going to Westman Islands. We packed our bags, bought some pills against seasickness and left early the day after.
The great idea to visit Westman Islands seemed all the sudden not so great… or about 20 minutes after the ferry took off. The waves were 6 meters high and we became seasick. I wished we had been better prepared for this to happen, but at least we are now.
Favourite tips – how to avoid seasickness:
- Be prepared: most of the techniques work best if you use them before you become seasick. So do not wait until you get seasick – try to apply the techniques before that happens!
- Close your eyes: if possible, ask for a cabin or some place you can lie down and close your eyes. This is really my favorite tip.
- Be relaxed: try not to worry too much because anxiety contributes to seasickness.
- Pills: before your trip, go to the next pharmacy and ask for medication that works against motion sickness. Please note that sometimes you need to take the pill one to two hours in advance for it to work.
- Horizon: look out on the horizon. When you are sitting on a boat that roles on the water, the body sends different signals to the brain. This confuses the brain and makes you sick. If you try to look out on the horizon, the brain will be less confused because the picture is more stable. Do not try to read on the ship! Try rather to listen to a audio book.
- Food: It is better to eat something, but not too much.
- Get fresh air: if the weather is not too bad, try to go out and get fresh air. This can calm you down (as mentioned above, it does not help to be stressed).
If you get seasick, do not be embarrassed – you are not the first one. Just let it go (preferably in a toilet or a trash can). The sickness usally lasts for few hours, sometimes a day or two.
