When you first start traveling for work it can seem so exciting – a new city, new people to meet, and a cool hotel room to stay in. However, once you’ve been doing it for a while, all of those things aren’t really very exciting, and sometimes it can seem nearly impossible to get through it alive. If you’re feeling anxious about an upcoming trip, here’s how to stay sane during business travel.
- Get as much work done as possible on the plane. A lot of times when people are taking a flight out to a foreign city for business, they try to relax in those last few hours before things get really busy and hectic. Unfortunately, if you don’t hit the ground running, you will only be more overwhelmed during those first couple of days. That’s why it’s important to get as much work and work related reading done before you touch ground so that you can impress everyone with your professionalism and preparedness.
- Be sure to have a good book. Just about any trip can be made much better when you’re in the middle of a really great book. Whether you are reading a physical book, reading a book on an electronic device, or listening to an audio book, being wrapped up in an intriguing narrative can be the perfect escape from the stresses of work, and it can leave you with fond memories of a city that would have otherwise been tainted with anxiety and pressure.
- Make sure to plan one really fun thing for each day. No matter how much time you are spending on your business trip, you should never go a full day without doing something fun. So when you’re writing your itinerary, be sure to consult an expert travel guide, like Hipmunk, to find out where all the coolest places are to go in your particular city. This will give you something to look forward to each day, and it will give you something fun to remember when you get home
- Try not to think about work when you don’t have to. You may be on the trip for business, but it doesn’t mean that you have to be thinking about business the entire time. If you don’t spend some time relaxing and decompressing from all of the stress and anxiety, then you are going to burn out and you won’t feel fresh and ready to do your work each day. So don’t feel bad, just relax when you can.
- Try to make friends. One of the best ways to keep your sanity when you’re traveling for work is to make sure that you are connecting with other people. It can be hard in a foreign city if you don’t know anybody ahead of time, but try getting to know the colleagues that you’re working with, try meeting people around town, or then again, we do live in the internet age, try meeting someone via social media. Just make sure you have someone to talk to each day.
