Travel can open doors for businesses of any size. You get to grow your brand, meet potential clients, and network with your industry peers. But despite the immense opportunities traveling can have, there are huge challenges involved.
If you don’t address these challenges, going out of town for work can cost you more than you’ll gain. And you might lose precious time that could have been better spent elsewhere.
So, how can small businesses plan for success when traveling? How can professionals stay productive during this time? And what strategies must you remember to keep in peak physical and mental condition?
How to reduce stress and improve success on business trips
Below are different ways to manage stress while traveling for business. Each one is simple to implement and can help maximize your success while on the road:
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Don’t underestimate the importance of planning
The old saying that failing to plan is planning to fail rings true in all walks of life, especially for business travel. You need to get on top of organizing your trip and making sense of it. Now.
So, what kind of planning can you do? First, there are the essentials, like planning your flights and accommodation. Booking these as early as possible gives you the best availability and price.
You might also need to check visa requirements and vaccinations for traveling. Once these are taken care of, your business trip is already off to a great headstart.
Next, plan your activities both inside and outside the work environment. Monitor all the meetings you’re involved in, and be careful not to overbook yourself. Plan for any travel you might need, such as car rentals or public transport tickets that get you from A to B.
Travel apps like TripIt can help you plan and organize your trip. The app organizes all your bookings and creates a personalized itinerary you can share with others.
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Set a healthy work-life balance while traveling
A healthy mind is a productive mind. Many professionals forget to relax in the evening, which can lead to burnout.
A survey in 2024 found that 47% of respondents found travel added to their stress and burnout levels. 27% needed to seek mental health support due to travel-related challenges. As such, you must make time for yourself while working on business.
Check out what fun, relaxing things you and your colleagues can do in the evenings. These can be simple things like visiting a gym or enjoying food at a restaurant. Even sightseeing or going to public places for a walk can help you destress.
Remember to also pack your home comforts—these can make all the difference! For example, if traveling long distances, invest in a good-quality travel pillow to help you sleep or noise-canceling headphones so you can relax en route.
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Ensure you stay connected to work and loved ones
Navigating a new country can be stressful for anyone—especially workers. Coordinating with colleagues is difficult because you don’t know the locality. And keeping in touch with loved ones back home can be challenging.
Unfortunately, many travelers fail to prepare to stay connected. When they touch down at their destination, their smartphones are out of service. Without connectivity, panic begins. Travelers may lose access to everything, including bookings, reservations, or immediate travel plans.
Thankfully, there is a lifeline that solves this problem—eSIMs. These are digital SIM cards that allow you to change network operators without a fuss. With their help, you can enjoy coverage from the best local networks in any part of the world. You no longer have to open your phone to replace physical SIM cards or pay expensive roaming bills. Instead, everything is controlled within an app on your smartphone.
Best of all, setting up an eSIM package is simple. All you have to do is research the best provider for your destination and download their app. For example, if traveling to the United States, you can take out a prepaid eSIM USA package and enjoy seamless connectivity nationwide with no further setup required.
And because data is charged at local rates, eSIMs can help slash phone bills. This can help ease the stress (and cost) often involved in business travel.
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Travel healthy by eating healthy
Professionals should always need to prioritize their diet, especially when traveling. High-quality foods are crucial to boosting concentration, managing stress, and fighting fatigue.
Unfortunately, traveling can be busy and chaotic, so diet is one of the first casualties. While you might be tempted to pick up a quick fast food meal at the airport or skip lunch for snacks, this can harm your productivity.
Especially if you haven’t traveled for work before, you must plan your meals carefully. Here are some simple ways of keeping a healthy diet:
- Drink plenty of water. Aim for 2 liters each day.
- Pack and restock healthy snacks periodically.
- Eat three meals per day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
- Avoid empty calories, like sugary drinks and alcohol.
- Aim to eat a varied diet that includes a mix of vegetables and a protein source (e.g., nuts, fish, or lean meat).
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Make time for a refreshing workout
Exercise is one of the best ways of reducing stress. It helps your brain produce endorphins, which give us that “feel-good” feeling. Even a short workout can help put your mind at ease during particularly stressful days.
But when traveling for business, exercise can take the backseat. Often, workers are too focused on work to keep fit, even though they spend long periods on planes and trains.
Thankfully, there are many simple ways to include exercise in your busy workday. For example, you might walk to your meetings or rent a bike. You could also avoid lifts and take the stairs. These simple things can yield big results.
Even if you can’t access a nearby gym or time is limited, plenty of fitness apps can help you break a sweat. Seven – 7 Minute Workout, for example, guides you on a robust workout in just seven minutes with no equipment needed.
Taking the stress out of business travel
For small business owners and digital professionals, traveling for work can seem daunting. It can be easy to feel overwhelmed when working on the move.
But there are ways to make business travel work for you. Good planning and a work-life balance mean you can seize opportunities on your trip. You can also embrace new technologies to help ease stress. These include travel and fitness apps, which help you stay in touch with those around you and back home.
