For many people, traveling for work is a necessary evil. It takes time away from loved ones, it messes up your routine, and it can be extremely mundane.
However, it doesn’t always have to be this way.
With a few tweaks to your travel routine and how you handle business trips, you can turn these excursions from downright drab to something you look forward to.
Here are our five tips to help you elevate your next trip.
A night in a hotel is no fuss, but when you have to be away from home for weeks on end, living out of a suitcase in a lunchbox-sized space gets tiring and uncomfortable pretty quickly.
When you have a longer trip scheduled, opting for fully furnished apartment rentals in Etobicoke or something similar in whichever area you’re staying in will allow you to enjoy some more homey comforts like a kitchen to cook your own meals in, a space to relax and unwind, and a closet to hang your work shirts.
Work trips often feel seriously go-go-go with no breathing room and a complete lack of order and structure. While maximizing your time in a different city is important, maintaining a proper schedule and minimizing stress is essential, too.
Take charge of your trips by scheduling your meetings carefully. Allow yourself commuting time, space in between meetings, and moments to break away. Lunch breaks still matter, and we all want to be able to scan through our emails at some point in the day.
We all know the saying, “Make hay while the sun shines,” so why aren’t you following that age-old advice?
Work travel can bring us to new and exciting places, and to miss out on the opportunity to explore a little is a crime. Whether you capitalize on your after-hours moments or even schedule your flights a little later to enjoy a free few days in a new city, make sure you’re enjoying some leisure time on your trips. Traveling in style is what makes the hard work worth it!
Being away from home can be an inherently uncomfortable experience. Make sure you do everything possible to reverse that and make yourself as comfortable as possible.
Pack work-appropriate clothing and some comfy items for lounging. Remember all your toiletries, medications, and any other items you need daily. Bring along some entertainment, like a book, and you can even pack your own pillow if you struggle to sleep in an unfamiliar bed.
Finally, avoid isolating yourself while traveling for work – it can be a lonely experience.
Make time each day to connect with your family back home. A video call or a simple goodnight text is a nice way to end your day and catch up with your loved ones. Try to mingle and network with your colleagues, too, and enjoy some drinks or a dinner with the people working alongside you so you don’t miss out on meaningful human connection.