Why is biz travel so tiring and how to deal with it? Here are four areas that are constantly using up your energy. If you address them, you can get a boost in your energy.
Hint, it’s not just jet lag or meetings.
The world of global travel is not that glamorous, at least not what most people might think of. I travel for work frequently. I also know quite a few close friends in those “business travel jobs”, usually in consulting or international business development jobs.
Every time we return to the office, the first two days are the toughest. Not only we have to catch up things, but also handle new emails that keep rolling in.
The worst part is that you can’t complain to your colleagues. Because not everyone has those “business travel jobs”, they don’t relate to your ‘problems’.
1. Biz travel puts you in new environments that require more energy
When you travel to a new environment, you are constantly reading new information and constantly reacting to the new stimulants, these all use energy.
Imagine you go to a new coffee place, your phone start searching for Wi-Fi connections. The environment is new to your phone, so you see the Wi-Fi icon spinning around, showing it’s searching for a new network. This takes more battery than when you connect to Wi-Fi at home. Your brain works the same.
2. Biz travel forces you to rely on unfamiliar resources
Unfamiliar resources use more energy. Whenever on a biz trip, you need to quickly find resources and re-organize them. Things that are part of your routine become unknown.
If your flight is canceled, you need to figure out a plan B. When you land, you need to find where the taxi or rental car area is. When you arrive at the hotel, you need to find out what’s their breakfast hour, where is the gym.
Each of these small tasks requires research and things adds up and make you tired.
3. Biz travel put you away from your ‘charging dock’-home
When you travel for work, many of us don’t sleep too well in a new environment such as a hotel. Our home is adapted over time to cater to the way we re-charge, how soft the bed is, how dark the room is…That is why when we are away from our charging dock, we don’t re-charge as well.
4. When you travel for work, you are solving unexpected problems on the go
You might not be aware but we handle tons of crisis when going on a business trip. The journey itself is full of things that we don’t control.
For example, airport constructions, flight delays, boarding gate changes, meeting agendas changes. You are constantly working to problem solve when things happen, no wonder you feel stressed.
Now you know what is truly eating away your energy, in the next episode, I will show you strategies to keep your cool and stay on top of all this chaos!
If you enjoyed the videos, come to Delicate Revolt TV for more tips for travelers and doers!
Hey, I’m Tess, an entrepreneur, and owner of Delicate Revolt, where I share 1. Lessons learned by an entrepreneur; 2. How to achieve energy, efficiency, and style on business travels.
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