Travelling for work can be an enriching experience especially because you get to experience a different culture and environment. You’re exposed to different and exciting business opportunities, and there’s the prospect of gaining new skills and knowledge. While it has many benefits, travelling for business also has its disadvantages, especially if you travel frequently for and weeks or months on end. 

Most people who travel for work are the envy of loved ones. People think, “wow, that must be so nice! You get to see different parts of the world. I wish I had your job.” The reality, however, is so far from what people think. Yes, it is a privilege to be able to leave the country but the fact remains: you are travelling for work, not for pleasure. We have put together a few tips to make your work trips more pleasurable than onerous, and to help you make the most of the trip.

 

Set up your out office before you leave

A disadvantage of travelling for work is that you might not have enough time to respond to emails. There’s so much to think about and prepare for when travelling for business; you have to think about the meetings you have to attend, the colleagues you have to train, or the programme of the conference you’re attending—the last thing you need to stress about is the mountain of emails that are related to work that needs to be attended to back home. Set up your out of office so you can focus on the work you are doing. The out of office message should notify people that you are currently out of the country/city and will respond to emails as soon as you can. This will alleviate any anxiety you might have because people will understand when you don’t respond to emails immediately.

 

Unpack your bag

A person travelling for business, moving from one hotel to the next, can start to feel unsettled after a while, which can have a negative effect on your state of being. You need to be intentional about creating some sense of stability while you’re away. Instead of living out of your suitcase, unpack your clothes and place them in the wardrobe in the hotel; this will help make you feel a bit more settled and less overwhelmed.

 

 

Charge all devices the night before

If your work trip requires you to attend meetings all day at various places, make sure that you charge your devices the night before. Doing this will give you one less thing to worry about in the mornings. You will obviously have to charge them again later on in the day but the best way to start a busy day is with fully charged devices.

 

Do what’s good for your wellbeing

Make time to get some fresh air; don’t stay cooped up in your hotel room after you have spent a long day at the office. Take a walk and explore your destination, even if it’s for 20 minutes. Breathing in fresh air will help clear your mind and it will re-energise you. Try as hard as you can not to eat on the go; wake up early for breakfast and keep hydrated.

 

Make time to talk to loved ones

One of the painful disadvantages of travelling for work, especially if you travel frequently, is time spent away from loved ones. Travelling a lot for work means spending a lot of time away from your spouse, partner, parents, children and friends, and this often leads to loneliness. Even when you are in a beautiful place with breathtaking vistas, you still wish your loved ones were there to experience it with you. While it may not be easy, be intentional about calling your loved ones—Skype calls are highly recommended.

 

 

Find an airline you can call home

If you are a perennial business traveller, it would be to your advantage to be loyal to one airline; this will also help to create some kind of stability for you. And, the more you fly with one airline, the more rewards you can accumulate, you could even be upgraded to business class. Flying business class makes travelling for work so much better. Take for instance Emirate’s business class, the award-winning brand offers premium cabins, wider seats and free Wi-Fi—everything that you need to get yourself ready for doing business away from home. Emirates is an example of the kind of airline you should use when flying for business. They have been recognised for their superior services offering.

 

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