Lifehack: How To Naturally Cure Seasickness

You are nervous about getting on a boat and feeling like pooh the whole way. Trust me, I get it.

Ever since I was a kid I’ve had motion sickness (seasickness is a type of motion sickness). It’s prevented me from going on roller coasters, reading in vehicles, & enjoying boats. Sure, there are worse things but feeling nauseous is a terrible way to experience life while you’re trying to do cool stuff. 

I’d rather be in tremendous physical pain than tossing my cookies into a shitty boat toilet any day of the week.

But as an adventurer, I refuse to let motion or seasickness stop me from doing the things I want. And while I do it, I want to feel good.

So, I decided to hack seasickness

After extensively researching the following methods, I tried them out for myself and the result was far better than I had anticipated:  I rode a small water taxi for 70 minutes through a turbulent hailstorm and made it to shore without any hint of nausea.

And guess what? I saw humpback whales on a trip I would normally avoid because I'd be too worried about about feeling nauseous.

Here is how I hacked seasickness...

What is Motion/Seasickness?

Essentially, motion sickness is caused by your inner ear sending signals to your brain that do not match the motion of what you are seeing. It is a sensory mismatch that confuses the brain and often results in the discomforting feeling of nausea.  

But there are ways to trick your brain so this never happens. One way is to take prescription or over the counter medication like Dramamine but many of us prefer to treat ailments naturally.

So here is your guide on how to naturally hack seasickness.

1. Stare at an unmoving point of focus

Since motion sickness is caused by an incongruence of what you are seeing & what your body is experiencing, one of the best ways to beat it is to stare at one point of unmoving focus.  

Of course, this isn’t always easy when you are out at sea and there are no physical landmarks to stare at.  However, if you can find some distant land or even a cloud, it is best to keep your eyes fixed to it.

Avoid constantly looking around or turning your head quickly. It will likely make matters worse.

Bonus hack: if you can't find any point of unmoving focus or it is dark out, try laying down for a nap. Naps have also been shown to reduce nausea.

2. Apply pressure to your inner wrists

More than 40 studies have shown that by simply applying pressure to your inner wrists, you can reduce seasickness. 

There are even products you can purchase designed to apply the pressure for you. Here is one called, Sea-Band, which states their acupressure bracelets are the "Natural choice for nausea relief."

Or, you can do it yourself. Here are the instructions to get the technique just right:  

"Press between the two tendons on the inside of your wrist, about three finger breadths below the base of your palm."

About every 5-10 minutes, switch wrists.

3. Sit towards the back of the boat

It is very likely you will incur some choppy water when you are riding a boat.  The constant up and down can quickly make you feel nauseous and even if you are doing everything you can to prevent seasickness, the motion may feel like too much.

To minimize this, sit towards the back of the boat where the engine is located.  Since the engine is the heaviest item on the boat, it is going to move the least.  

It may make for a louder ride but at least you will be minimizing the chances of tossing your cookies.

Bonus hack:  if you can’t grab a seat near the back of the boat, find one that offers fresh air and a good view of a non-moving point of focus.  Research has also shown that fresh air can help minimize seasickness.

4. Chew gum or have a light snack

You probably wouldn't have guessed it, but chewing on a piece gum can actually relieve nausea. In fact, chewing in general can help you fight seasickness and motion sickness.

Just keep in mind you don't want to overdo it on snacks. While chewing has benefits, you don't want to eat a row of Oreos because you may soon find yourself literally tossing cookies.

Bonus hack:  since both peppermint and ginger have properties that fight nausea, opt for some peppermint gum or ginger candies. 

5. Have some cannabis

As marijuana becomes more and more legal, its medicinal benefits are becoming better understood and more well-known.

For years, cannabis has been shown to reduce nausea and now chemotherapy patients are even regularly using it to reduce the effects of their insufferable nausea.

If it is legal in your state or country, try a little bit and see if it works for you.

Bonus hack: if you don't like smoking cannabis, you can try eating it but make sure you get the dosage right and keep in mind it takes about 1 hour to kick in.

The Ultimate Checklist to Naturally Prevent Seasickness

Ready for the adventure?

Here's a step by step checklist on how to hack seasickness.

Keep in mind you don't to do every one of these...they are simply suggestions.

You can likely reduce nausea by just doing one of them.

1. Legally smoke or consume a somewhat light dose of cannabis
2. Get on the boat and sit near the engine
3. Stare at an unmoving point of focus
4. Eat a ginger snack & then have a piece of peppermint gum
5. Apply pressure to your inner wrists
6. Breathe deeply, clear your thoughts, and enjoy the ride