Situational anxiety is a massive burden during any business trip.
It’s not just work-related stress and jet lag that bring this on. Nor the endless meetings, client schmoozing, and late-night work sessions.
Instead, according to Reuters Peter Meyers, it’s the isolation and uncertainty that wears us down.
So, here are five tips for dealing with this on your next business trip:
Read a Good Book
When you’re on a business trip, read what you like, not what you should. Unfortunately, magazines don’t count, so try and get your teeth into a good novel.
According to Tracy Shawn, MA, “The simple act of reading a novel can give us a psychological shot of courage, encouraging personal growth while reducing anxiety.”- all of which, work wonders for surviving a stressful business trip.
If you don’t know where to find your next gripping novel, head over to your local library. Libraries are fantastic resources for finding a good read, and for borrowing books for free. Just ask the librarian for their advice. Tell them about your preferences, and they should be able to steer you in the right direction.
Sit Down to Eat Breakfast
If you commit to sitting down and eating breakfast, you’re less likely to skip it. This might not seem like a big deal, but eating breakfast is scientifically proven to reduce anxiety levels.
According to Mayo Clinic, eating breakfast containing protein helps to steady our blood-sugar levels, which has a significant impact on our general well-being. This means eating food like eggs and lean bacon. Not to mention they’re delicious, so this works on a lot of levels!
Make a Personal Itinerary
Every business trip has a business itinerary, and they’re usually all the same. They tell you where to be and at what time. Needless to say, they’re a tad dull.
Whereas, a personal itinerary, is far more interesting- that’s when you make an effort to organize plans. Work out in advance where you’ll eat (as opposed to improvising). You should also fit in activities and excursions, even if that means putting a client off for a while.
Head over to TripAdvisor and see what the local area has to offer. There’s bound to be a cinema, a gallery, a museum, or something else of interest nearby. Plus, you can see at a glance all the best restaurants within walking distance to your hotel. As you can see, TripAdvisor is a fabulous resource for creating a personal itinerary.
To summarize, the point of this exercise is to do what’s necessary to spend some ‘me’ time. As cliché as it sounds, it really does help to combat anxiety.
Practice Cybersecurity
Your digital habits can put you, your company, your computer, your work, and your data in danger. So, put this worry to rest by avoiding public internet connections.
However, if you have to, do everything using VPN software. It’s by far the easiest way of keeping your computer safe from hackers while you’re out and about.
Plus, the bandwidth and efficiency of the overall computer network is usually increased with a VPN solution. After all, there’s nothing worse than working with a slow device, this is a surefire path to stress and anxiety- so nip that in the bud with a VPN.
Stay Safe
Traveling to new places can be nerve-racking; you may even feel slightly vulnerable. If so, try and travel with a group and ensure you know where you are at all times. Also, if it’s possible to stick to public places, then do so. These tips all help to eliminate the fear associated with lone traveling.
You can download apps like ‘Find my Friends’ to ensure that someone knows where you are at all times. That way if you find yourself in a tricky situation you can reach out to someone who knows your exact whereabouts.
Don’ts for Reducing Stress
Reducing stress during a business trip is as much about what you don’t do, as what you do, do. Don’t forget your book. Don’t skip breakfast. Don’t neglect your “me” time, etc. If you stick to the above advice, you’re sure to have a more enjoyable business trip.