How to Keep a Healthy Routine While Traveling for Work
September 14, 2022:
While summer travel is often for leisure and relaxation, the autumn oftentimes bring with it the need for work-related travel during the popular season for professional conferences. Traveling professionals can find it difficult to stick to any type of routine while navigating new locations and busy schedules on the road. Consider these tips from Jesse Clark of Soulful Travel to stay healthy even when you aren’t close to home:
Plan for Exercise
For most people, getting exercise is part of their daily or weekly routine. Traveling for work can interfere with that routine unless you plan ahead. For example, ask your company to put in hotels with a fitness center so you have access to gym equipment. Request accommodations within walking distance to your work venue so you can walk back and forth each day. If it is slightly too far to walk, bring your bike with you so you can commute that way.
Stay Organized to Give Yourself More Free Time
If you go on a trip without organizing all your items, you will find yourself struggling at some point. You could lose your briefcase or forget where you put your cell phone, and after a while, the stress of it all can take a toll on your body. Start by organizing all your travel documents in a safe way. You can file them together digitally in one file. To do so, use this tool to add pages to a PDF, as well as delete, rotate, and reorder pages as necessary. Then store them on a cloud-based server so you have them with you wherever you go.
Get Plenty of Sleep
Sleep can impact your physical and mental health. For example, research shows that missing even one night of quality sleep can dramatically change your mood the next day. Your mental health should be just as much a priority as your physical health, and to be an effective worker, you need to be at your very best on the job. This starts with a great night of sleep. Start by setting a sleep schedule. For example, you can set an alarm on your phone to remind you when you’re nearing your intended bedtime. Talk to your doctor about using a non-addictive supplement, such as melatonin, to help you rest better and get more quality sleep.
Keep Snacks and Water With You
When you’re on the move, it can be difficult to find a healthy snack. Go shopping before your trip or when you first arrive and purchase some healthy snack options, such as nuts, fruit, granola, and yogurt. Prioritize items high in fiber so you stay fuller for longer. Keep a refillable water bottle with you as well so you never run out, and you save money by not purchasing bottles of water on the go.
Be Your Own Advocate
If your work routine gets too hectic and starts to interfere with your personal time, don’t be afraid to speak up to your boss. Work hours exist for a reason. You shouldn’t be afraid to say you are not working during off hours. Turn off your phone and focus on what you want to do. Just be sure to set those boundaries from the start so your boss knows your standards, and stay in communication when out of the office so your boss can understand you are still being productive during scheduled hours.
Eating well and staying active have a profound impact on your overall well-being. If you prioritize your health and keep these tips in mind, you may even see improvements in your work and quality of life as a result of being mindful during your travels.
