First-class flights, luxe hotels with chocolate topped pillows, bubbling prosecco – all paid for. What’s not to love?
Despite all the potential perks of business trips, the shakeup in routine can cause havoc on your health and fitness. Regular sleeping patterns, beauty regimes, and essential exercise can be completely changed by a work trip.
No matter how glamorous they sound, you spend most of the time sitting in a hotel or doing what’s on your itinerary and hardly any time exploring. So to say goodbye to dry ‘flight’ skin, poor sleep and a sluggish mind and body, these are the tips we swear by. (Just think of this as your essential guide to killin’ it on your next business trip.)
If you travel regularly, it can take its toll – but, remember, traveling for biz doesn’t have to be dull or stressful, or all work work work. Communicate to your office that you’ll be away to soften that email mountain. When it comes to packing, only pack essentials (remembering essential fitness attire) to avoid heavy luggage and ensure speedy check-in. Do you really need your laptop or will your tablet or smartphone do?
Maintain your routine to avoid fatigue. Only sleep when it is dark and perhaps adjust your watch a few days before to ease into the change. Sleep at a reasonable time, stick to your night-time routine and switch off (not scroll Instagram for hours). When tackling emails, set up a workstation in your hotel (read: do not work from bed, no matter how tempting).
With the in-air dehydration, ensure you stay hydrated. Also, ensure you stick to a well-researched workout routine. Track down your local gym or running route and make time daily for even a low energy workout. Your mind and body will thank you for it, plus you’ll want a break for yourself in-between those meetings.
If you can’t stand the gym, try to do a yoga routine in your hotel room. A gentle, relaxing routine aided by an app will help you stay focused and de-stress.
Work travel can quickly lose its novelty and become tiresome. To avoid feeling lonely in a new place, get to know the hospitality team. Also, why not extend the trip and explore on your own schedule? Perhaps find time to meet up with a local friend or visit any sights you have a burning desire to see (other than the white walls of your meeting room). To avoid burn out, take time for yourself and maintain your routine. You’ll bring more to your business trip and get more from it.
Beth: “What I’ve learned about work trips has been invaluable, without proper planning and delegation you end up staring at the four walls of your hotel and working. So make sure everyone is briefed and all your tasks are ticked off before you embark on a work trip. I take everything I’d usually take on a mini-break with me plus a few extras. A few matcha tea bags, a face mask, an eye mask, sometimes a foreign sim card, these things save your life when you’re abroad. Particularly if you’ve had a seriously stressful evening, popping on a face mask, ordering room service and relaxing is amazing!”
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