How to avoid burnout while travelling

Travelling for work, whether it’s domestic or international, can be incredibly exhausting and really take it out of you. You’re out of your normal routine and you tend to compensate for lost desk time by trying to make up for it with longer working days. Travelling makes it harder to eat well and exercise like you normally would, and as a result leads to a loss of energy, and your performance then suffers.

Executives and professionals have a love–hate relationship when it comes to travelling. There’s an unspoken expectation that you still have to be on your A-game even after all those hours spent on the plane.

The lack of normality, and not having easy access to what makes you feel energised is what sets a lot of travellers back, and this can result in burnout.

5 tips to stay in control of your energy & avoid burnout while travelling:

Model your days as if you are working in your home city

By mimicking what you would normally do at home, it takes less mental energy to work with your preferences rather than against them. For example, work to your personal pace and take regular breaks. Don’t push yourself too hard and listen to what your body is telling you

Schedule some down time

Business trips are often action packed with meetings, client dinners, and more, which can deplete your energy levels. Ensure you put some time aside for yourself to re-energise, whether it’s a walk around the city, some chill time in your room watching TV, or hitting the hotel gym

An ‘Out of Office’ is key

Don’t feel guilty or slack putting your ‘Out of Office’ on. You can’t be everywhere at once, so don’t try to be. Be present wherever you are, so use the ‘Out of Office’ to manage your emails coming through, and provide an alternative way for people to get help if they need it while you’re away. Trying to keep up with your travel schedule as well as your emails will deplete your energy and you’ll end up feeling stressed trying to keep up with everything

Don’t forget to move

Whether it’s dedicated time to exercise or incidental movement between client meetings or trips to the office, scheduling time to physically move your body will not only benefit your body, but your mind as well. When you travel for work, you are trying to cram as much in as possible, so make sure you fit in some exercise to ensure you’re at your productive best

Eat for nutrients

It’s easy to eat lots of heavy foods that aren’t nourishing while you’re travelling. Opt for the vegetables and protein when you can, and steer clear of high GI foods such as rice and pasta, which will fill you up but contain little nutritional value. Consuming foods that are healthy will result in you feeling better and in more control of your energy levels