Work-life-travel balance. It’s about time!

Here are five easy ways to include balance in your itinerary

1. Offload your travel admin

Getting help from a travel management company (TMC) can free up a lot of extra time. And who doesn’t need that?

Hand over all the admin and devilish details to your travel manager, including flight and accommodation bookings, flight changes, connections, layovers and lounge access, so you can concentrate on the business at hand.

Not only will your TMC source the best fares and best accommodation deals around, but they’ll also keep on top of changes, COVID restrictions and red tape. Even better? Take advantage of your TMC’s existing supplier relationships and ask them to arrange early or late check-in, shuttles and more, so you can make the most of your time on the road.

  

2. Remember: healthy body, healthy mind

Do calories consumed mid-air count? Whether it’s exercise or diet, we all tend to let things slide while travelling. It’s easy to grab fast food between meetings, or forego a gym session for room service in front of the TV.

Unfortunately, this can have a negative impact on our energy and focus. And while a home-cooked meal is probably off the cards, it’s important to make healthy food choices, to stay hydrated and to prioritise exercise.

Here, a little pre-planning can go a long way. Make sure to:

• Chat to your travel manager about exercise opportunities in and around your hotel (be it a gym, pool or running track).
• Pack in your walking shoes (and read up on your destination beforehand).
• Leave enough time for a healthy breakfast.
• Ask your hotel about packed lunches (yes, it’s a thing).
• Keep your hydro flask topped up.
• Make sure you get plenty of rest.

In other words, stick to a healthy routine and you’ll reap the benefits!

 

3.  Say no like a pro

It’ll come as no surprise that work-life balance requires work-life boundaries. Unfortunately, saying no doesn’t always come easily – especially when we’re back on the road and making up for lost time.

But in order to achieve any semblance of balance, it is important to draw a line in the sand – and stick to it. So say no to things that cut into your personal time, prioritise your health and wellbeing, and ditch the guilt.

If you need to, chat to your manager about putting together a manageable itinerary. One where you can build in buffer time, breathing space and wriggle room. Don’t dash from meeting to meeting (or worse, from flight to flight). Make sure you have the time to achieve what you need to achieve, and that you still return home fresh and raring to go.    

 

4. Unplug and unwind

In this highly-connected, ‘always on’ world it’s often difficult to switch off and relax. You can do it. It’s all about boundaries (see above). Constantly checking messages and e-mails might seem like a good idea at the time, but it can reduce focus and inject unwanted (and unnecessary) stress into downtime.

Checking devices before bed can lead to disturbed sleep and reduced cognitive performance. Make sure you allocate a decent amount of ‘off-screen’ time so you can switch off – both literally and metaphorically. We recommend a good book (or long bath).

 

5. Did someone say travel perks?

As glamorous as corporate travel looks on paper, business travellers often deal with long days, stress, homesickness and fatigue. A perk (or two) can go a long way in relieving some of that pressure.

This is where our Exclusive Deals make all the difference. They offer you the best-in-market rate, but also provide unique benefits for every traveller, from complimentary breakfasts to room upgrades, late check-out, early check-in, complimentary food and drink, or bonus loyalty points.

And if you don’t ask, you don’t get. Just kidding, we’ll keep you in perks. Especially if it means you can rest, relax and achieve a little more work-life balance.