Stress Free Business Travel

Top Tips on Wellbeing Whilst Travelling on Business from Stress Management Specialist,
Annie Lawler, Managing Director of Breathing Space for Business

Introduction

Having spent many years travelling for business and personally, I thought I would share some rough guidelines which may help both managers of business travellers and business travellers themselves to plan for travel with the minimum amount of stress.

So what is the right balance and what can companies do to help people cope with the rigours of travel? Here’s a 22-point plan to help. I realise not all the suggestions will be relevant or practical, but they should give you some guidelines on how you and your team members can travel on business and maintain good levels of health and performance.

1) The cardinal rule of stress management is to treat team members as human beings rather than cogs in the wheel. This practice, whilst it takes a little effort, improves motivation and performance, so it’s worth the time.

2) Everyone without exception, needs a balance between activity and rest. In fact Harvard research has shown that even a break of only 2-3 minutes per hour, improves accuracy and efficiency by 15%! Despite our 24/7 culture, working without regular breaks is not efficient – in fact it impacts our performance adversely. It’s worth taking time out as time out if often when we get our best ideas and see things most clearly. Travel time (on public transport!) can be an ideal time to relax and let go.

3) Companies wanting to help staff who travel a lot, need to make their team aware of the effects of work and travel on their stress levels and it is helpful to arm your staff with techniques and strategies which help them maintain a balance at work and at home. Remember, stressful situations outside work, also affect performance in the workplace. Breathing Space for Business runs seminars on stress management and wellbeing in the workplace and you can find out more at www.breathingspaceforbusiness.com

4) I remember, when I was working on the Board of an advertising agency, constantly packing lots of things in and leaving everything till the last minute, just to squeeze an extra few minutes in the office. I ended up running down train platforms and through airport check-ins with seconds to spare – how stressful is that?! Give yourself plenty of time and build in a margin for delays and so on, so that you can arrive for meetings fresh, unhurried and calm.

5) I often find journeys in public transport uninterrupted time, when I could get my thoughts straight, do any writing I had to do or plan my schedule for the next few days. Mixed with a little relaxation time, where I can read or chill out, travel time can actually make you more effective and give you a little breathing space. Incidentally, travel on transport usually is a great opportunity to practice some breathing & relaxation techniques. Breathing Space has a variety of CDs and downloads to help with this on www.breathingspacetherapies.co.uk/shopping.htm.

6) In order to ensure that your energy levels are maintained whether you’re in the office, at home or travelling, nutrition is massively important. So make sure you plan eating and drinking of healthy foods into your routine and particularly when you’re travelling. Drink lots of water, choose salads, soups, fresh fruits etc from takeaway or restaurant menus. If you think it’s going to be difficult to find healthy alternatives in transit, then try and prepare something in advance and take it with you. If you have a company canteen or dining room, ask for healthy options to be included on the menu and for healthy take-away packs to be provided.

7) Always check your travel details carefully when you receive tickets and itinerary and again, 48 hours before you leave. Check train times, meetings schedules, meeting places, hotel reservations and (most importantly!) that the meeting is still on and the people you want there will be in attendance and also have the correct details. This can save huge amounts of stress along your route.

8) Ensure you have directions and details of any transport links and that you have contact details for all attendees, addresses of hotels and so on.

9) It’s a good idea to get together all the things you are going to wear on your trip a few days in advance. This way, if there’s something that needs to go to the cleaners or in the washing machine, you still have time. Try and plan outfits which are versatile, .e.g. suits or skirts that you can wear with different shirts or tops and accessories which will go with a few outfits. This way you have less to remember to take with you and less luggage to transport with you too.

10) Start putting any items you are going to take away in a pile or a case a few days in advance if possible. Put them into the pile as you remember them – you’re less likely to forget them that way and therefore less likely to get frazzled if you realise you’ve forgotten some essential piece of kit!

11) If you can, it’s a good idea to avoid heavy social engagements either the night before you travel or on the day after. If you have got things on, keep them short and alcohol free. That way you’ll get a good start to your travelling day and ensure your energy levels are good for the journey.

12) Make sure phones, Blackberries, handhelds etc are charged before you leave and that you take necessary chargers and leads with you.

13) You might want to take some music with you to use on your journey or in a hotel room. Music is incredibly powerful and can help you relax or pep you up. Keep a playlist of things which bring you up and things which calm you down and use them accordingly.

14) Where possible, try and plan meetings in the same geographical area on the same trip. It’s more economical both in time and in travel costs and also less draining.

15) Allow plenty of time between appointments. Even if you arrive early to some, it’s better to arrive early and stop somewhere for a cup of tea than to arrive late and frazzled, which is not only stressful but puts you on the back foot with your clients or business partners.

16) What is your company policy on travel time? Do they compensate you in some way if you are travelling out of normal working hours? For example, if you arrive back late in the evening from a day’s meetings, are you able to work from home the next day and use your commuting time to catch up on some extra sleep or can you claim time off in lieu? Remember, it’s all about trying to remain on top form so that you can be efficient and enjoy what you do. It simply doesn’t make business sense nor is it good for your health if you are constantly on the go. Follow this advice and you’ll be more effective and be able to relax – how’s that for a no-brainer!

17) Your return journey can be a good time to make notes whilst they are fresh in your head, make briefing notes for when you return to the office or write up minutes. This will save time when you get back to the office. But try and also build in a little time during the journey to relax with a book or newspaper and chill out a little.

18) If you’re making a presentation on your travels, try and send your presentation in advance or use a memory stick so that, with a bit of luck, you can avoid taking your PC with you.

19) Avoid making loud and lengthy calls on your mobile during business travel because a) you never know who’s listening to potentially confidential conversations on public transport and b) it’s a nuisance to others and can cause stressful conversations with fellow passengers.

20) If taking long haul flights try and travel during daytime. Whilst you could be seen to be losing time by doing this, people rarely sleep well on long haul flights and are therefore not as effective. You’ll also return to your normal time zone more quickly and avoid the effects of jetlag which impact on performance.

21) Travel for work is often disruptive to your personal life and relationships. It’s important to get one’s priorities right in this respect. Remember, if a client or your boss asks you to travel, it is not unreasonable to ask if you can check your diary and come back or to offer alternative dates which might be more convenient to you. Regularly people are quite happy to adapt and they may just wish to see you around the date they have suggested, so don’t be afraid to ask and do take time to step back and check arrangements before you commit. If you find that travel is essential when something of a personal nature which is important to you and your family is being compromised, ask if you can delegate the meeting. If you really have to be there, then liaise with your manager to see if they can offer some form of compensation for your partner or whoever is involved. For example, on occasions during my corporate career, I was able to negotiate taking my partner with me, taking them for a special dinner somewhere or even taking them on holiday. Naturally, you want to be reasonable with your requests, depending on the situation, but it’s equally (if not more!) important to maintain good relationships with people outside of work as these relationships also have an effect on your performance at work and may last for life!

22) Changes of schedule are a fact of life in business and it’s not uncommon to be asked to change plans at the last minute. However, if this becomes a frequent occurrence, it’s likely there’s something wrong. Take control of the situation and take a look at what needs to change and then act on it.

Well that’s given you a few thoughts on how to make business travel less stressful. I hope you’ve found this article helpful and that it has given you some ideas. I welcome your feedback and questions on the contact details below.

Meantime, happy travelling and keep well!

About Breathing Space for Business

Breathing Space provides Stress Management services for the corporate market, helping companies improve staff retention, reduce absenteeism and enhance staff performance, as well as helping them protect themselves against costly litigation and tribunals.

For details on the best way for Breathing Space for Business to help you and your organisation, contact annie@breathingspaceforbusiness.com, visit www.breathingspaceforbusiness.com or call on 0772 581 8884.