NIX STRESS AND INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY DURING CORPORATE TRAVEL
Corporate travelers are certainly familiar with stress. From struggling to find reliable transportation in a time crunch to managing their luggage, meeting deadlines and navigating unfamiliar cities, the opportunities for stress to flourish are multiplied when an executive is traveling.
Itâs no surprise that executives and business people go to great lengths to relieve some of this stress, whether itâs going to see a movie, going to sleep earlier or simply setting a time in the evening to turn off electronic devices and meditate.
For executive travelers, productivity and time management are crucial; when youâre under stress, both are compromised at best. Thatâs why itâs important to build a stress-relief routine for the moments when you feel like youâre about to crack. Here are a few ideas for relieving the stress that can plague a corporate traveler.
1. GET BETTER SLEEP
This might seem easier said than done, but there are actually a slew of easy ways to improve your sleep during corporate travel.
Creating a better sleep environment during your business trip begins in your hotel room. This might mean doing research on the quieter areas of the city and booking a hotel room there, if the option is open.
Unfortunately, business travelers are sometimes given hotel rooms that are simply undesirable. A room near the ice machines, elevators, loading dock or other high traffic areas of the hotel will present you with significant additional noise while youâre trying to sleep, especially during the daytime or afternoon naps.
Prepare yourself for these conditions by learning your own sleeping habits and how to recreate them during your business trip. Do you enjoy white noise when youâre trying to drift off? Check into some handy apps that can provide you with the ambiance you need to fall asleep.
Eye masks, ear plugs and similar tools will help you simulate darkness and silence, if youâre trying to sleep during odd hours.
2. MEDITATE
Many business travelers get simply overwhelmed with the amount of projects, meetings and seminars they have to attend on a daily basis. The pressure to produce and be involved can quickly lead to burnout which is the enemy of all productivity and happiness.
With the rise of technology, the ability to meditate, either with a recorded voice for guidance or to the ambient sounds of rain or rushing water, has never been easier. There a tons of helpful, free apps available to make meditation easy.
Handy apps like Omvana and Relax Melodies can help you find your calm place, effectively reducing stress and helping you re-focus your energies.
3. EXERCISE
For many of us, our exercise routines take a hiatus when weâre traveling for business. Whether itâs because we just donât have time or because weâre too unfamiliar with our surroundings, missing your exercise routine can have detrimental effects on your stress levels.
Booking a stay with a hotel that has a fitness center on site is an easy way to keep up with your exercise routine. Even if you only stop in to do a mile or two on the treadmill, exercise is a great way to release endorphins, spike your energy and relieve stress. If your hotel doesnât have a fitness center available, taking a short walk around the city or even just around your hotel can get your blood pumping and your stress levels sinking.
4. TURN OFF THE COMPUTER
Our computers are our professional lifeblood, and many of us keep them running 24/7. We keep email tabs open, unfinished projects blinking in the corner and all manner of connection to our work lives going, even when weâre exhausted and drained of any creative energy.
On business trips, it is vital that you get enough rest and relaxation to balance out the long days and the time change. Being in a different environment is also a tax on oneâs energy. All of these things conspire to create a cocktail for stress when you are least prepared to combat it.
Set a time each night that you will shut off your computer and put away your work for the night. Use this time to unwind; watch a movie on the television, read a book or practice a hobby. Whatever you do, itâs important to distance yourself from work demands for at least a portion of the day.
Business travel is no picnic, but with the right advice in mind, you can make the most of it, avoid burnout, and find time to relax.
