For most of those who belong to the working class, being productive while traveling may be a very daunting task. For other people, being productive work-wise during a vacation may not sound realistic at all. Surely, many of us would just want to enjoy our travels and forget about our work for some time.
One of the challenges faced by employees who travel for out-of-town business meetings or for personal vacations is to stay productive without getting stressed out. In the present time, being versatile and resourceful of all available forms of digital communication is definitely a huge advantage to being a productive employee. Being productive isn’t something that you can learn overnight as it requires a lot of patience and practice to form it into a habit while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
Read more about the 4 useful tips to being productive while being away from your work base and start seeing great results in no time.
1. Stay connected to the internet.
Productivity during travel begins with careful planning. Always make sure to bring a portable Wi-Fi device with you; along with your essential gadgets such as laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Check if the airport or the station you will be boarding from has free Wi-Fi access. You may also want to locate charging stations beforehand so you won’t need to look around while carrying your baggage inside the station. Make sure that you have power banks, power cables, and mobile chargers with you.
It is a good opportunity to do some work while waiting for your flight, but don’t forget to check if the area where you will be staying at has a reliable internet connection too. You may need to buy a local SIM card and sufficient credits to make sure that you have a steady internet access abroad. There are also Wi-Fi enabled planes that you can take advantage of in case of very long flights.
2. Download work files and apps.
Don’t always rely on a fast internet connection even if you are in assigned in an urban area. Download all important work files on your devices so you can work on them anytime and anywhere you go.
There are also some amazing applications that can help you work while traveling. Gmail Offline for Chrome allows you to read and respond to emails even without internet connection. Your messages will then be automatically sent once you go online. FaxBurner is also a great tool that lets you send and receive faxes from your iPhone, iPad, and e-mail. Get a free fax number and complete your business transactions in an instant.
3. Choose your workspace.
Get to know the place you are visiting beforehand. Slow internet connection and uncomfortable climate should be the things that will turn you off. As much as possible, avoid choosing an apartment near bars, department stores, casinos, or any place that you think can be a distraction to you. You may also find great coffee shops that provide fast internet access, that are not too crowded, and of course, those that are offering good food and nice working ambiance too.
4. Give yourself a break.
One of the important things that you should consider in order to increase your productivity is to take short breaks from time to time. Be with the people who know how to balance work and travel, and learn lessons from them. Learn how to say no when you have a task at hand but don’t forget to reward yourself if you deserve one. Enjoy your travel and don’t let your work stress you out.