If you’ve taken one of the 465 million business trips in the US last year, you’re probably familiar with the hassles that come with traveling for work. The headaches of being in a new city and having to familiarize yourself with and figure everything out.
You may have experienced a lot of wasted time, delays, searching for a place to stay, dealing with unreliable wifi and uncomfortable or unsatisfactory accommodation. You’ve probably skipped the hotel gym and craved a home cooked meal after a couple days. All these things, lead to a loss of routine – the lack of; home comforts, reliable work areas and fitness classes. That loss of routine can end up costing more than just your time. It can cost your company and team time and money.
You see, when you lose your routine it throws you out of whack. Couple that with being in a subpar hotel room, eating out every meal and letting your activity levels slip and you can fall into a full blown funk for days, even weeks, after you return home.
Here’s what you really need to stay sane and productive while traveling for work…
Comfortable, private, high-quality apartment
A place to feel at home, take a hot shower after a long day and make breakfast without having to put on pants. Having a space to work on your laptop at home is also a necessity. Forget hotel rooms that make you feel like a tourist or stuffy corporate traveler. Relaxing in a comfortable space that feels like home does wonders for your moral while traveling.
Workspace, specifically designed for work
A place to take calls, work on presentations and prep for meetings. You need a designated space to go to work on what you’re there for – work. Hotel lobby’s and cafes have unreliable wifi and get loud and distracting. With a coworking or office space, you can get online and into your work, fast. Plus, they have call and meeting rooms so you can be distraction free and present for your important meetings.
Prioritize your fitness / health
Whether you prefer to squeeze in a 15 minute HIIT workout, knock out some stress in a boxing class, or decompress in an hour of yoga, having a fitness class or gym to attend while traveling is essential. Prioritizing your health and wellness, lead to a happier, more focused and more productive you. Booking these classes ahead of time are a great idea. That way you’ve already committed so even if you don’t feel like it, you know you’ll be thanking yourself after.
Essential information on the city
Forget spending hours searching for neighborhoods, city info, restaurants etc before you go. Having recommendations and helpful info curated by locals, means you can skip the touristy areas and opt for some seriously delicious – and lower priced – restaurants. Plus, knowing the currency, if there’s Uber in a city, which cabs to take, and which neighborhoods to stay in, are incredibly helpful before arriving.
Staying connected to your team
Staying connected to your team while traveling is incredibly important. Being in a different city or time zone can pose as a challenge, however if you’re prepared it shouldn’t be an issue. If you’re looking for the best tools to stay connected while working remotely, we shared them here.
All these should help make your business travels significantly better. While the airport line ups and travel time can’t be reduced, these four things will save you a lot of time – and headaches – ensuring you’re putting your best foot forward for your work trip. Plus, with staying healthy and booking in advance, you might just have time to see some neat places in that city! At Behere, we know how important these are, which is why we take care of all of them, in one easy to use booking platform. The best part, it’s free to use and your travel manager can also sign up and monitor your trips.
Originally Published on Behere.
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