Keeping the right balance between work and personal enjoyment when you’re on a business trip is not easy, but it should be done. If your business trip is taking you away for a good few days, but your meetings are sporadic throughout the trip, then you should be able to bulk out your time with things to do. Personal enjoyment is critical for maximising the benefits of business travel, and while it’s an enjoyable thing to upgrade a business class, you have to consider what you’re planning on doing when you get to the city you’re visiting.
For example, if you arrive at the city before your accommodation is available, then knowing where you can go and take your luggage for luggage storage while you explore.Is going to help you to pass the time. If you have to be away from friends and family for an extended period of time just to be able to go on a business trip, then you should be able to enjoy yourself while you’re there. So let’s take a look at some of the ways that you can balance business and pleasure when you’re travelling for work.
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Plan ahead for both work and leisure. Effective planning for your business meetings is important, but effective planning for pleasure is also important. Review the work schedule and the commitments that you have while you are visiting, and then identify any gaps or free time that can be used for exploration or personal activities. If you’re planning on visiting a new city, you should research your destination in advance so that you can consider extending your trip by a day or two – if your company policy allows. You can then sightsee or relax without any interfering work commitments involved. Don’t forget to check what your company policy is though, because the last thing you want to do is fit in a sightseeing trip only to find out your boss is going to be mad at you.
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Maximize your downtime. Even on your work trips, there will be pockets of free time for you to be able to have personal enjoyment. From early morning runs to lunch breaks and evenings after work, you have plenty of opportunities for exploration or relaxation. You could wake up earlier to enjoy a local cafe breakfast, or you could take a quick walk around the local Botanic Gardens. You can use any lunch breaks to visit nearby attractions or try local food. And after work you have the potential for hidden bar crawls in the city nightlife. If you’re travelling in a different time zone, jet lag can be used to your advantage if you’re finding yourself awake early because of time differences, you have extra time to explore.
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Combine your activities. If you are the person who’s putting together this whole business trip, then you can make a point of integrating leisure into your business schedule. Meeting clients for dinner, suggesting the restaurants that offer a unique experience, or even scheduling your meetings in interesting locations is a great way to get to know the local area and the people. For example, you could meet in the Botanic Gardens or a local park and you could have discussions over coffee.
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Stay productive with the right technology. You’re on a business trip, so leveraging technology will help you to manage your work responsibilities efficiently. The more efficiently you manage your work, the more time you have for personal activities. As long as you have reliable mobile Internet access, you should be able to be contacted wherever you are. So if you do decide to take a quick surfing break at lunchtime, you can have your phone readily available for you to answer any calls after you’ve come off the waves.
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Prioritise your well-being. If you’re on a business trip, you’re likely going to be going in and out of meetings and dealing with a lot of heavy information. You need to maintain your physical and mental well-being as part of your trip. Prioritise getting enough sleep but eating well and if there is a gym in your hotel, use that as much as you can. Staying hydrated will also help and as hotels offer fitness facilities such as spas and saunas, you can practise some mindfulness to manage your stress.
Be flexible. It’s important to plan your trip, but you also need to remain flexible throughout. Business travel often involves a lot of unexpected delays or changes, so being adaptable helps you to make the most of it and minimise your stress. If a meeting gets cancelled or rescheduled, it’s your opportunity to explore the local area. Keep a list of nearby attractions or activities on you so that you can have a short period of free time.
