Some people really enjoy traveling for work. They view it as an added perk to be able to fly to far-flung places (or close-flung, as the case may be) and relish in the experience of shaking up their normal office routine. Then there’s the rest.
A lot of people can’t quite “get into” work trips. In many ways, they can seem more demanding than your at-home job, since you don’t have the comfort of routine to fall back on. They can also feel like a letdown: here you are in this wonderful, new place, and yet you’re cordoned off from all the fun stuff. Add to that the jet lag, airport food and heavy suitcase, and it can be kind of miserable.
If you count yourself in the latter camp, consider this a guide of sorts. Here are a few, simple things you can do in order to make the most out of your next work trip.
Avoid Jet Lag
The first step in enjoying any trip, work or otherwise, is to combat jet lag, that awful trick of the body and mind that can leave you feeling groggy and nauseous. To tackle jet lag, follow a two-pronged approach: stay hydrated throughout the trip, and try to acclimate to your destination’s time ASAP, even a day before if you can. The former staves off those bodily symptoms, while the latter ensures you spend as little time in a daze.
Pack Light
You’d be surprised how liberating it feels to only have a carry-on. No more dragging a suitcase around, waiting at baggage carousels and rifling through a giant bag to find the one article of clothing you really intended on wearing. Just pack light; if you have to figure out how to pack a wool suit in a carry on so be it. You’ll thank yourself when you get there.
Stay Healthy
Airport food, meeting food and after work drinks and snacks, they all share something in common: they’re all pretty bad for you. To save yourself the lousy feeling of coming back from an excessive business trip, try and order the healthier options on the menu. Also, use your spare time to get some light exercise in, even if it is just doing the following…
Carve Out Time for Sightseeing
You’re in a new place – enjoy it. If there is no time in your current schedule to sightsee, kindly ask your superior, or whomever oversees your trip, to rectify that. They will probably be amenable, and it will free you up to take in the local flavour.
Give Yourself a Break
Finally, you have to rest. Just because your job is flying you somewhere, at a cost to them, it doesn’t automatically mean they own all of your time. Take some time to relax in the hotel, or go do the leisure activity of your choice. That, more than anything, will help you enjoy your next work trip.
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