Success in the professional world means constantly being on the go. Red-eye flights, 5a.m. conference calls, and 3-hour commutes can take a toll on your energy level.
It’s easy to get stuck in a sluggish, unhealthy routine when you’re consistently drained, both physically and emotionally. In the little down time you find throughout the day, your body and mind are likely to laugh at the notion of something like getting to the gym, and preparing a healthy meal after a hectic day at work is much less appealing than driving through McDonald’s and grabbing a #5.
For me, “a crazy week at work” is just another way of saying, “every week at work.” And it used to take a massive toll on my physical, mental and emotional health.
Then, I decided to do something about it. And I think my winning tips can help you stay alert, happy and healthy while juggling your job, too.
Here are three of my most reliable jet-setting habits that keep me moving with a smile on my face and my head firmly attached to my shoulders.
What do caffeine and naps have in common? You should avoid them both!
Groggy morning before an all-day flight? A grande latte with two espresso shots and the notion that you can grab some shut-eye at 30,000 feet might offer you some solace.
But think again.
Caffeine isn’t good for you. I’m not going to preach that drinking a cup of Joe every morning will guarantee cancer at age 40, but the bottom line is caffeine fakes—poorly—what a healthy diet and regular exercise can do for your body. And at twice the cost.
To avoid mid-travel crashing, try:
• Cutting caffeine out entirely.
• Drinking more water—the #1 reason behind chronic headaches and fatigue? Dehydration.
• Get in shape! A healthy body and mind needs less rest.
In her lifestyle regimen The Diet Solution Program, Isabel De Los Rios explains that real change that doesn’t require you to break the bank on equipment or expensive diet foods. The foods that nature provides (in their unprocessed form) are able to give the greatest likelihood for health and vibrance. So skip the double-caf mocha and find something truly nutritious.
On that note, as tempting as it might be to snag a few hours of sleep mid-flight, don’t.
Unless you have the flue, napping is never good. It distorts your sleep cycle and beats the heck out of your metabolism.
Keep your mind moving even when your body is still.
To avoid the resist to rest, bring along something not work related to occupy your hands and brain. Unless you absolutely have to complete something for the office, give your brain a respite by focusing your energy on something you enjoy. It’ll refresh you and help get your head in the game once you’ve arrive at whatever meeting, conference or presentation to which you’re headed.
Try things like:
• Reading—Kindle, Nook and other e-reader manufacturers make carrying a library of options along for the trip hassle-free
• Sudoku, word searches or other intelligent games
• Good with your hands? Take up puzzle games, crocheting, or origami
• Start a travel blog and write your posts exclusively while en route to business endeavors
• Get social! Start a conversation with your cab driver or the traveler next to you.
Walk it off.
Keeping your mind sharp while jet-setting is crucial. But your body is going to need a wake-up call now and then, too.
Anyone looking to buy Truth About Abs or another sound eating program will find tools to help get their eating on the right track. Next, a small but essential strengthening routine help kick up beneficial hormone levels. Finally, giving an extra twenty minutes after a long trip to take a brisk walk or jog can help with essential oxygenation needed to endure the stresses life brings our way.
Not only can these suggestions sharpen your physique, they teach your body to snap out of fatigue more quickly after sitting on a plane, train, or in the backseat of a car for hours on end.
Like anything else related to your health, real results require consistency. If you don’t feel immediately refreshed after a post-flight workout, cut yourself some slack. It will take your body some time to adjust to getting kicked into shape.
But once it does, you’ll be a physical—and professional—force to be reckoned with.
