5 productivity hacks for working people on the move

Anyone who travels a lot for work will be familiar with the exhausting feeling of constantly rushing from one meeting to the next with hardly any time to prepare or respond to important emails and calls. Not to mention the time for yourself, moments to breathe a sigh of relief during a stressful business trip. Productivity on the road is therefore an issue that is receiving an increasing amount of attention. Fortunately, there are a few simple adjustments you can make to make your journey much more enjoyable with little effort and increase your own productivity to new heights. Here are five clever productivity hacks that are specifically tailored to the needs of professionals on the move.

Hack 1: Effective time planning

To achieve an effective increase in productivity on business trips, you should first work on good time management. As this is a difficult task for many people, there are now a whole range of helpful time management tools and apps that have been developed specifically for this purpose. These are particularly helpful in organizing upcoming tasks clearly and help to keep an overview and set clear priorities, especially on business trips.

Even before the trip, it's important to be clear about the goals of the trip and the prioritization of tasks during the trip, either alone or with your usual work team. In order to avoid nerve-wracking back and forth, the division of tasks should be clearly agreed. If there is someone who will cover your back at home while you take care of business abroad, this person should be well trained and always available in case of emergencies. A detailed schedule is also part of any good preparation for a business trip and should serve as a general guide for time management during the trip.

Hack 2: Technological tools for mobility

When looking at the most important productivity tips for companies, it quickly becomes clear that in today's working world, the use of technological solutions for working at home as well as on the road is essential. In most areas of work, the appropriate technological tools are a matter of course, but before a trip you should always check that you have thought of everything.

Personal work equipment for on the move should definitely include a cell phone, laptop and all the necessary hardware such as memory cards, cables or external batteries. Special headphones that detect and specifically block out ambient noise can also prove to be worth their weight in gold on a plane or train, for example. You should also be able to access enough mobile data on your cell phone in an emergency to be able to do everything important on the computer, even if the WLAN fails.

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The little basics of software equipment on a business trip also include generous space in your own cloud storage and file sharing for access to all important documents while on the move. In order to stay in close contact with colleagues thousands of kilometers away on a business trip and to be able to work together effectively, the latest communication and video conferencing tools should definitely be part of the package!

Hack 3: Optimizing the work environment

One of the most effective productivity hacks for professionals that is also really easy to implement is setting up a pleasant and productivity-enhancing working environment. The working environment has a significant impact on your productivity and it is worth spending a little money at the airport or hotel to get a pleasant environment designed for work, where you can simply concentrate better. Such an environment should offer few distractions and instead strengthen your focus. A trip always means unfamiliar external stimuli and automatically involves a lot of organization. Therefore, save yourself stress and look for places that already exist for productive work while traveling.

Hack 4: Efficient time management when traveling

The idea of multitasking may sound attractive and competent, but it carries the risk of being overwhelmed and can have a negative impact on actual productivity. Instead, you should make an effort to maintain a good focus on a business trip. This applies in particular to the time you are forced to spend in means of transportation such as planes and trains, i.e. the travel time itself. Here, you should plan your workload very specifically and stick strictly to it. The necessary breaks and planned space for rest periods are extremely important to avoid exhaustion. You can find out more about working productively on long-haul flights in our article from last month.

Hack 5: Self-care and health on the move

To appear fresh, effective and convincing at important business meetings while traveling, you should also feel as physically fit as possible. When time is of the essence, overtime is the order of the day and a general climate of self-exploitation characterizes the work environment, it is often difficult to pay attention to your own needs. However, as mind and body, and therefore also work performance, are closely linked, the aspect of self-care should not be neglected on business trips.

In order to feel healthy and fit while traveling, a balanced diet is an important building block. In order to avoid additional stress on your body, it can be advisable to follow the same diet that tastes good and is good for you at home. You should also make time for physical exercise, whether it's a few laps of the swimming pool in the morning, a jog after work or walking from one meeting to the next during the working day.

Sleep hygiene and dealing with possible jet lag when traveling to other time zones are also closely linked to mental well-being. Careful selection of accommodation during the trip pays off here. It should be in a quiet location and designed to meet the special needs of business travelers. A sleep mask and earplugs are also essential items of luggage on any business trip. Special methods for stress management and effective mental recovery on the business trip can be learned before the trip and help to make the experience more pleasant and the working time more productive.

Conclusion

A business trip is a time of intense work and can quickly feel stressful or even overwhelming. To remedy this feeling, we've put together our five productivity hacks for professionals. These hacks can help you make more efficient use of your time on business trips and soon be just as productive and successful on the road as you are in the office. Every journey begins with the first step and to improve your work performance, it's good to start small. Pick your two favorite tips from our list and take them to heart on your next business trip!