Just like many other folks, my job entails a large amount of travel.  And travel is one of those things that, while fun early on, soon becomes a drag that pulls us away from our routine and can ruin our productivity.  So, how can we become more productive on the go?  I’ve found that by maintaining your routine, quickly adapting to the new timezone, and continuing to separate work from rest we can best mitigate the effects of traveling through multiple time zones.

Perhaps the most important is quickly adapting to your new timezone.  The National Sleep Foundation offers some good tips on the subject, and I have found that the following works really well for me. After I have gotten to my seat on the aircraft, I set my watch to the destination timezone. This allows me to not only mentally get into the timezone I will be arriving at, but to also allow my body to begin preparing for the new timezone. Once I arrive at my destination, if it is early enough, I will get a light workout in. This helps me work out the kinks of a long flight, as well as get my “system” running again.  I also endeavor to do the following:

1. Eat a meal, preferably a light one, that corresponds to a normal mealtime in the new timezone. Doing this will further encourage your body to adjust to the new time.
2. If you are fortunate enough to arrive at your new destination prior to sunset, try to find a window that faces west, or even better, go outside and watch the sun set. Not only is this relaxing, but it is also grounding and helps your body align itself to a normal circadian rhythm.
3. Land after sunset? In this case, after checking in to your new location, do 20 minutes or so of Yoga or light stretching. Once again, this will allow you to work out the kinks in your body and get the “system” back on line. Follow this up with a light meal and some reading – avoid being on a computer or tablet if able.

Once at your destination, it is important to maintain your same routine.  If you enjoy getting up in the morning to work out, ensure you allow time to do that.  This is particularly easy if you are traveling west, which means you will naturally wake up a little earlier than normal.  If you are traveling east, the getting up at your normal time may be harder, but it is worth it.  I also travel with my journal and a book or two that I am reading at home.  Keeping up with my reading, writing, and physical routine goes a long way towards ensuring I remain productive on the go.

Finally, I put a lot of effort into separating my work from my rest while traveling.  This can be challenging when staying in a hotel room, but here is what I have found works.

1. Do your work in the hotel office center.  Most hotels offer a small room with computers, a printer, and a few desks to work on.  These rooms are often tastefully laid out and easily put you into a productive work mindset.  Working in the hotel office center helps keep work where it belongs, in the office, and allows you to close the door on it when you leave to go back to your room.
2. Read or watch TV in the hotel “living area”.  I’m not really sure what this area is called, but it is often a comfortable room with couches, tables, a few drinks and a TV.  I enjoy hanging out in the living area as I can either read comfortably or watch TV if I desire.  The TV is nearly always on in the background and no one cares if you change the channel – besides, whatever you want to watch is guaranteed to be better than the ubiquitous Fox News or CNN that are usually on in the background.
3. Finally, allow the hotel room to be only a place where you sleep.  Do your best to avoid surfing the web in bed or flipping channels before you go to sleep.  Once you allow the web or the TV to gain a foothold into the room at night, it is hard to not only stop the surfing, but also allow your brain to turn off and rest.  I’ve found a light novel is a good “nightcap” to help make the transition to rest and allow my mind to wind down.  Also, don’t forget the lights in the room – hotel rooms, while having great blinds, often have small lights from electronics that can affect your sleep.  Take a look around the room and un-plug what you can or turn the lights away from you bed – this basic sleep hygiene step works like a charm.

Crossing time zones can be challenging on our sleep, routine, and productivity.  But, with the proper mindset and techniques these disadvantages can be minimized and we all can be productive on the go.

What have you found that keeps you productive on the go?