Business travel can put a lot of strain on your body and can often leave you suffering from jet lag, lack of sleep, unhealthy meals, too much coffee, and the stress of a marathon of meetings. All these factors can seriously damage your health and decrease your productivity.
It comes as no surprise than most business people come back fully wrecked from their business trips, and that is not due to nights out and partying. Traveling on business is a serious thing and in order to get through it with your health relatively intact, you need to learn to look after yourself.
Below are some ideas to keep in mind when traveling on business. They will help you to relax, revitalize and stay healthy during and after your trip.
Meals
Have at least one hot meal a day. And, most importantly, don’t rush through it. You may have a busy schedule but if possible, try to organize your day so that you can take a break during the day to grab something to eat. A hot meal will give you the much needed energy to get through the day.
Limit Your Coffee Intake
Fact: business and coffee go well together. However, that fifth cup is probably causing you more damage than anything else. Learn to say no to coffee and choose pure water instead. It will help you concentrate and relax.
Use Breaks to Unwind, Not Check Emails
As tempting as it might be to catch up with what’s been going on in the office, try to use some breaks to relax and regain focus instead of checking email and stressing yourself out even more. In spite of what you might think, any problems back at the office can wait a bit. Your body on the other hand might need some rest now.
Read a Book Before Going to Bed
If you are not going out in the evening with your partners or hosts, use this time to get a good night sleep. In order to make the most of it, instead of falling asleep staring at your phone or tablet’s screen, read a printed book. Being exposed to too much light from a screen might prevent you from drifting off to sleep easily. A book will allow your mind and eyes to relax and help you sleep more soundly.
Book a Hotel with Fitness Facility
If possible, book a hotel with a gym or a swimming pool and take advantage of those services while staying there.
Exercise in Your Room
If booking a hotel with a gym or a pool is not possible, then turn your room into a small fitness facility. You actually don’t need any equipment to do this. All you need to do is perform a few basic exercises. Here are few suggestions:
- Balance on one leg for 10 seconds with your body straight. Don’t close your eyes. Do the same on the other leg.
- Stand with your feet slightly apart. Stretch and reach out with your arms to the ceiling. Remember to take a deep breath before you stretch and exhale while you are reaching up.
- Do some squats. Just remember to squat only as far as you feel comfortable to go, don’t push yourself too much and remember to keep your back straight.
Following at least some of these suggestions will help make your business trip a successful one!
Guest Author: Thomas Bruhl
Thomas is a veteran business traveler having been responsible for web development teams based in two countries. Today he is more settled, working for Staycity Edinburgh, yet he can still feel the strain of business travel on his health.
Photo by EdKohler.
