A business trip is a physical and mental test. Travelling, standing in a queue, waiting… Even during and after a long flight you can stay productive and deal with critical problems. A few simple life hacking ideas will help you.
If you often go on business trips, you know that even the shortest flight is time-consuming. It includes the time spent on the way to the airport and back, during the security check, and waiting in the terminal – to say nothing about waiting for luggage.
Of course, trips are necessary for any company that wants to develop. But, being on the run, it is not easy to concentrate and finish all the work. Therefore, we offer a few tips that will help you learn to use most of the time spent in the air and resume productive performance immediately after landing.
1. Drink more and grab a meal
Travelling tires you no matter how well you can deal with flights. Make sure you drink enough water – so you’ll feel more energetic and less dizzy. If you know in advance that you have to deal with a difficult task, take a container with lunch and light snacks. You will not have to rely on the airlines and the airport.
2. Make sure that you can work without the Internet
Wi-Fi in the plane is notoriously unstable (if there is any). So do not be surprised if the Internet suddenly disappears. When viewing a list of tasks, make sure that you have saved all the necessary documents. Postpone the problems (for example, answering the incoming e-mails) as you will not manage without a network connection – you can deal with them after you land.
3. Charge all the devices
This tip may seem trivial, but when all efforts are focused on moving from point A to point B, it is easy to forget that your tablet PC with all the most important information needs recharging. Be sure to switch all gadgets to the airplane mode and check whether all the chargers are in their place before you leave home. You can take a three-way plug with you. If you are lucky to find a free socket in a crowded airport, you will also be able to help your fellow travelers.
4. Do not get engrossed into your thoughts
Of course, your enthusiasm is important for the job. But who knows what kind of a person will happen to be on the plane next to you. Who will be the fellow traveler with whom you have shared a socket at the airport? Keep your business cards ready. Your neighbor can give you very useful advice or be a potential business partner, a client or a friend.
5. Do exercises
You will not pay enough attention to the work, if you feel sluggish or exhausted. Even if you can walk a few laps around the terminal, straighten your legs in the aisle of the airplane and walk to the destination, it will be sufficient to enhance your blood circulation and reduce stress to a minimum.
6. While you are travelling, put all the unimportant work aside
Do not spend your time in the air, accomplishing unimportant tasks, such as filling out forms or modifying the calendar. In the plane, you are far from all daily hassle that distracts you in the office, so you can devote this time to an important project or specify a new idea.
7. Set goals for yourself
What tasks do you want to complete by the end of the flight? When you determine the route and book tickets and hotels, get a list of the tasks that you want to find out prior to landing. Tick the problem off as soon as you solve it. The first thing to do is to get down to important tasks.
8. Plan your time
Once you prioritize your tasks, go through each item and estimate how much time the implementation of each point will take. Use a system that works best for you as a foundation. For example, 40 minutes of work, followed by a 20-minute break. In such a way, you will get into a rhythm that will help you concentrate.
9. Calm your nerves
Many people are nervous during the flight. Height, closed space, pressure fluctuations make it very difficult to stay calm. If you are sitting and thinking about the most terrible scenarios during the flight, work is the last thing you will pay attention to. So breathe deeply, stay calm and send your energy in the right direction: do not be nervous and get engaged in the work.
10. Take a break
It does not matter if your flight lasts for 3 or 13 hours, you will not be able to work without a break anyway. You will notice when your concentration and performance will decrease. But instead of mindlessly surfing the Internet or looking through advertising magazines on the plane, approach the break in a more creative way. Look out of the window and listen to your favorite music for a few minutes, draw some sketches in a sketchbook, train your brain with Sudoku, or simply meditate.
