When you have to overcome a big time difference, what's your method?

Depends but naps, coffee and adrenaline work for me.

If I have to be up earlier or later because of appointments or whatever It doesn’t phase me as much since I am not on a schedule and retired now.

Retirement is a fantastic opportunity to do whatever, whenever,however one wants within reason and that is why I love retirement!
Whoo hooo my time is whatever I want to control.

If I lose sleep, no problem..just take a nap anytime in the day.
If I have to get up earlier to catch a bus to travel out of town, no problem, just add a nap later.
It all balances it self out in the end.

When traveling: get on the new time zone schedule right away. If you arrive in the morning or afternoon, stay awake, no naps, and eat dinner at the same time as everyone else in the new time zone; after that you can go to bed.

No coffee after 11 a.m. in the new time zone. Coffee will throw off your attempt to resynch.

Get up at your usual time in the new time zone. I you usually get up at 6:15, get up at 6:15 in the new time zone.

This has worked for me on cross country trips, going to Hawaii, flying to Australia or Tokyo, and trips from the west coats to Europe.

I always do what @zenvelo does, whether it’s a two hour or an eight hour time difference. I may be pretty worthless at the end of awake time, but I try to go to bed no more than an hour earlier than usual by-the-clock time.

When I go to Eurorpe and arrive in the morning, I like the concept of trying to stay awake but I usually crash for a nap in the afternoon. Then I can stay awake until normal bedtime usually. It may take me a day or so to adjust but it is not terrible. When I come back I end up wking up early for several days and am quite productive for that short time.

East-West Coast transitions don’t bother me much at all.

Halcyon