Long stints on the road for work? Yeah, they can throw a wrench in your work-life mojo, leaving you fried and less effective. Over at PlanURstay, we’ve got a grip on what it means to keep your balance while you’re miles away from home for way too long.
This isn’t another one of those ho-hum guidesit’s a lifeline. We’re diving into the nitty-gritty of how to maintain your sanity while away. How? By crafting a living space that doesn’t make you want to claw your eyes out and making sure your tie to the home crew stays strong. We’ll walk you through the must-do moves to make your business travel not just bearable but maybe dare we say it? enjoyable.
Creating Your Home Base
Choose Accommodations with Home-Like Features
Let’s talk about finding your temporary digs – and making them feel less like a hotel, more like a home. Where do you start? Aim for places that throw in a few homey perks. Think fully furnished apartments or those extended-stay hotels (with a kitchen, laundry facilities, and separate living areas). Saves you cash, gives you comfort. Fun fact: the extended stay hotel market hit a cool USD 53.24 billion in 2023. Fast forward to 2030, it’s expected to touch USD 98.80 billion. Translation? People aren’t just asking for such spots; they’re clamouring for them.
Set Up a Productive Workspace
Next, create your own little productivity corner – a dedicated workspace. You need it, trust me. Seek out a spot with great natural light and maybe, just maybe, a view worth looking at. Ergonomic chair and desk? Non-negotiable. They’re key for keeping your posture in check during those marathon work sessions. Oh, and for cramped quarters? A folding desk that disappears when you need more space. Research shows that having the right ergonomics boosts productivity, miss even one element, and you’re sabotaging yourself.
Add Personal Touches
Okay, let’s sprinkle in some personal flair. Craving comfort and well-being? Personalize that space. Slip in a few familiar vibes with items from home – family photos, your go-to coffee mug, maybe a small plant. They take the edge off stress and fend off those homesick blues. Did you catch Extended Stay America’s tidbit? Their survey shows 72% of guests lug personal items along to inject a bit of ‘home’ into their not-so-permanent accommodations.
Use Technology for Comfort
Tech up your living space – smart home devices are your ally. Portable smart speakers? They serve up your favourite tunes or just add familiar background noise. Smart plugs? They let you set the lights just right, emulating your home turf vibes. These little tweaks don’t just matter – they’re game changers in crafting a comfy atmosphere.
Improve Sleep Quality
Finally, let’s get serious about sleep. Make that sleeping area snooze-friendly. Got a favourite pillow? Pack it. Familiar bedding does wonders for your sleep game. White noise machine or app? Essential for drowning out random noises. (Fun tidbit: The National Sleep Foundation tells us 74% grapple with sleep in new spots – so levelling up your sleep setup isn’t just smart… it’s survival.)
Now that you’ve crafted a home base that’s less “meh” and more “wow,” you’re ready to carve out the routine that’ll keep that work-life balance steady during your extended stay.
How to Build a Productive Routine Away from Home
Set Clear Boundaries for Work Hours
Define your work hours – and stick to them. Research examines the tango between work-life balance and project performance, tossing job burnout and organizational support into the mix. Want to sidestep the burnout minefield? Establish start and end times… uncomplicated. Let your smartphone’s “Do Not Disturb” feature be your new best friend – banishing those work notifications after hours.
Prioritize Physical and Mental Well-being
Work some exercise and self-care into that daily schedule of yours. Got a fitness centre nearby? Hit that up. No gym? No problem – local parks are nature’s playground. Apps like 7 Minute Workout or Headspace are your on-the-go personal trainers for those confined schedules. Quick exercise, quick meditation… quick sanity.
Explore Your Temporary Home
Don’t let this extended gig become a work-only snooze fest. Schedule each week, a little escapade to explore this temporary abode. Apps like Meetup or Eventbrite? They’re your sherpas to local events or groups that vibe with your interests. It’s a networking goldmine with a side of anti-monotony.
Leverage Accommodation Amenities
Extended stay accommodations – they’re like the antidote to travel fatigue, minimizing relocations and maximizing your energy resources. Many of these places want you to have all the fun, offering social events or guides that pull you into the locale like a local. (Staying with PlanURstay? They’ve got resources coming out of their ears).
Create a Comfortable Work Environment
Find a spot and call it your dedicated workspace in that temporary home. Go for good natural light – a nice view is the cherry on top. And hey, if you’re investing in anything, make it an ergonomic chair and desk. Your posture will thank you after those marathon work sessions. Dealing with a tight spot? A folding desk is your Houdini… tuck it away when it’s time for leisure.
Set up this routine, snuggle into your comfy work zone… now let’s get back to those connections with the folks back home because maintaining those ties during your extended business stay is the last puzzle piece.
Staying Connected While Away
Long business trips? Yeah, they don’t need to feel like a monastic retreat. Keeping the lines open with those you care about is more than warm and fuzzy – it’s crucial for your sanity and that elusive work-life balance. So, how do you keep the bonds strong when you’re zipping around the globe? Let’s break it down.
Maximize Video Calls
Face-to-face – in any flavour – is where the magic happens, and video calls? The next best thing. Pencil in regular face time with the fam and pals. Zoom, FaceTime, WhatsApp… take your pick. Videoconferencing keeps the convo rolling without hopping on a plane – efficient decisions at a fraction of the cost. And please, don’t just stop at one-on-ones; ramp it up with group calls for family dinners or just a classic game night.
Document Your Journey
Bring them along for the ride. Pop open Instagram or Facebook and let the photos and videos fly. Your favourite cafe, that quirky street artist, or snagging the local delicacy… it’s all fodder for connection. Keeps them in the loop and fuels your next chat.
Participate in Virtual Activities Together
Distance isn’t a deal-breaker. Fire up a shared experience – sync up a movie on Netflix Party, dive into an online game, or channel your inner chef and tackle the same recipe on a call. Fun? Yeah, it still exists… even virtually.
Establish Communication Expectations
Let them know the deal – your hours, best times for a catch-up. This is Communication 101. Keeps the peace and ensures that sacred uninterrupted work zone. Research shows online chats have cut down the casual desk-side chats – those impromptu moments that thread the office culture together. Set the boundaries, and keep work from blurring into the personal.
Utilize Accommodation Resources
When booking your digs, think beyond the minibar. Look for those with high-speed internet and vid-call-friendly nooks. Providers like PlanURstay outfit their spots with speedy connections and comfy home offices. Makes staying plugged into home feel a whole lot easier – because, let’s face it, nobody wants tech stress.
Final Thoughts
Alright, so let’s talk extended business stays – because, frankly, they shouldn’t feel like walking a tightrope between, well, work and life. With the right playbook, these stretches away from home can be golden tickets to growth, productivity, and – believe it or not – fun. Sounds pretty perfect, right? The move is to turn your stay into something that feels more home than hotel lobby, lock down a balanced schedule, and keep those lines open with the folks back at home base.
Let’s not overlook this: Comfortable digs are huge. They’re your launchpad for all things work and chill. Think about it: a spot that doubles as a workstation and a chill zone – absolute non-negotiable for turning the overwhelm of workdays into something a bit more manageable. When you pick a place with those homey touches, you’re already leagues ahead in the game.
Dialling in the strategies we’ve laid out flips the script on business travel. No longer a ball of stress – think fulfilling adventure. Enter PlanURstay. They’ve got the whole package, serving up serviced apartments in primo spots across the USA and Canada, we’ve talking fully decked out spaces, lightning-fast internet, the works – home offices, fitness centres, you name it. With PlanURstay, maintaining your work-life groove while you’re away isn’t just possible, it’s pretty much guaranteed.
