Smart Hacks for Business Travel & Conferences

Early in my career, I worked as an event manager, often living out of a suitcase. I don’t travel as much anymore, but the habits I learned back then still make every trip smoother and more productive.

Here are a few that always worked for me:

• Adjust your internal clock early
  Before big trips, I shifted my sleep times toward the destination time zone. Sometimes I even stayed up intentionally so I could sleep on the plane aligned with the arrival schedule. Once I landed, I always stayed awake until at least 9 PM/dark to reset fast.
  
  
• Fast on travel days
  On flight days, I avoided meals completely and stuck to water + a pinch of salt. Eating again only on local time made the transition much easier.
  
  
• Keep food clean when you land.
  I ate simple, non-processed, mostly keto-style meals. For quick natural energy, dates were my go-to power boost.
  
  
• Hydrate like it’s your job
  Air travel is dehydrating. Doubling my water intake and skipping alcohol until the first night kept energy and clarity high.
  
  
• Create a quick arrival ritual
  A stretch, walk, or shower helped me shift into “local mode” immediately.
  
  
• Focus your conference strategy.
  I identified the 3 people to meet and 2 takeaways to leave with. Everything else was optional.

My take: trust, but verify
These small habits made a big difference back when travel was constant for me.