Traveling for business can be both rewarding and challenging. It can be tempting to let your healthy habits go when you’re away from home, pressed for time, without your usual conveniences, and exhausted. However, with a bit of planning, it’s possible to incorporate exercise, nutritional meals, adequate sleep, and more into your trip. Self-care is important, and you may find your business goes more smoothly when you’re well-rested and properly fed.
Plan ahead
Without planning, you’re likely to let non-urgent matters like exercise, meditation, or rest drop to the bottom of the priority list. Your hotel probably has a fitness facility and/or pool. Think ahead about when you can use these. Or you might want to explore the place you’re visiting on foot, and walking can be great exercise. Map out a daily schedule for yourself. Does it involve a bit of downtime when you could rest, meditate, and recharge? You can set timers on your phone to remind you to hydrate, exercise, and gear down for sleep. Make sure you bring along a sturdy travel water bottle that can be refilled so you’ll stay hydrated. If you have an established healthy eating plan, consider how you can stick with it. Many hotel rooms now have refrigerators and microwaves, so bring your own snacks, fruit, and other essentials. Before the trip, research food options at the airport, hotel, and neighborhood where you’ll be. Take time to stay in touch with friends and family, whether by text, phone call, or email.
Secure your documents
It’s critical to have all your travel documents organized and easily available. If you make digital copies of everything, you can combine them all into one PDF for convenience. A PDF merge tool can come in handy for this task. After all the files have been combined, the merge tool allows you to move pages around for the best organization. Particularly if the trip will be long, having all your information together in one place will simplify many things. You might also consider making such a file of your medical records, especially if going to a foreign country. Losing a plane ticket or reservation information can be frustrating, and if you have digital copies, you’ll be spared a lot of angst.
Consider bringing your dog along
Bringing your pet along may not be an option if you work for a large corporation, but if you own your own business or freelance, it just might work. Having Fido accompany you can be a great incentive to exercise regularly, and the companionship can’t be beat. Visit the vet first, and be sure your dog is healthy and up to date on all vaccinations. Take the documentation of all this on the trip. If you’re going to another country, check well in advance to see if your pet needs his or her own passport. Particularly if you’ll be flying, your dog must be crate trained, which should be done long before the trip. Some savvy travelers put a few items of their own dirty laundry in the dog’s crate, which can have a calming and reassuring effect as the dog smells its owner’s scent. Be sure to bring a collapsible water bowl, so your pet can stay hydrated wherever you are. A GPS collar for your pup will help you keep track of him or her if they should get away from you. Look for one that can be linked to your smartphone and show you in real time exactly where your pet is. Of course, it’s important to check ahead of time to be certain that the place you’ll be staying accommodates pets.
Business travel has changed over the years and can now often be arranged to allow time for exercise, rest, healthy eating, and other types of self-care. Just because you have work to do in a different location doesn’t mean it’s appropriate to neglect your own well-being. With adequate planning, your trip could even be a rejuvenating experience. Bringing along your dog could make it more fun. So organize your travel documents, do your research, plan your schedule, and expect to enjoy the adventure.
If you’re planning a trip, check with bnbfinder to locate accommodations that meet your business, personal, and pet needs.
