Would I be less jetlagged if I had simply refused to look at a clock?

No, your circadian rhythm is internal, you can’t avoid or trick it.

Jet lag is a feeling that is not dependant on looking at a clock, but rather an effect on the body due to trying to fit too much activity into too short a period of time.

Looking at a clock or avoiding looking is not the solution. The solution is to get enough rest within the time period your body is used to.

No, look at the clock, realize that that is the time now, and quit thinking about what time it is where ever you came from.

If you didn’t look at the clock, and had no other indication of the time at all (say you’re locked in a room with no windows or people living in the local time zone) you wouldn’t get jet lagged because you’d just sleep at your regular time. Of course, you wouldn’t be able to get much work done when it’s midnight locally and everybody else is asleep but technically it’s do-able.

I found a great way to stop jet lag that works for me. It might not work for others though. What I do is stay up all night if I’m leaving early in the morning. Then when I arrive I wait till it is actually bedtime there and go to sleep. If you leave in the evening do the same thing there. It makes you somewhat tired for the first day but usually the excitement from the trip keeps you going, and after the first night you’re golden!

I used to travel 70,000 miles a year. There is no avoiding jet lag, there is only making adequate preparations to limit its impact.

I developed a program that worked for me based on experience:

No caffeine of alcohol on the plane.

Adequate water on the plane (which is more than usual since the atmosphere in planes is so drying).

An immune system booster before I take off and when I land. (I use Emergen-C.)

I always stay where I can indulge my exercise-of-choice routine. Regular exercise really helps. For me, that was swimming and/or walking.

If you do not have a medical condition that precludes its use, melatonin can help re-set your bodies rhythms faster.

No. The key really is drinking a lot of water during the flight and after the flight.

Thanks for the advice and GQs guys