Forgotten How to Business Travel? Hack the Pack with These Five Reminders
I don’t know about you, but for me, after a near two-years hiatus from business travel, the simple task of packing for in-person meetings and events is stressful!
Here are five simple tips to “hack the pack” as we head into the busy Holiday trading season.
Re-Stock the Toiletries Bag
Two years of stagnancy can leave toiletry bags forlorn. Be sure to check the small bottles, travel-sized and minis to be sure products are fresh, and you are not decanting shampoo or hunting for a razor as you’re running out the door.
Pack the Business Cards, Water Bottle and Snacks
Water bottle refill stations are becoming more prevalent, so pack the empty bottle and some snacks to keep you fed and watered on the trip. And don’t forget your stack of business cards that have probably sat on your desk for months.
Keep a Small Set of Wipes Handy
Your hands. The aircraft seat buckle. Hotel room remote control... There’s no shortage of surfaces that can benefit from a sanitizing wipe-down during pandemic travel. Alcohol wipes or sanitizing sprays come in handy.
Stash a Spare Mask
Masks seem to be like socks in the wash with their disappearing acts! Pack a few disposable masks in the laptop bag, handbag pocket, and coat pocket in case the need arises to mask up unexpectedly.
Leave Plenty of Time
Finally, allow extra time for check-in. Plan ahead for road traffic. And if you are undecided on business attire, you may consider to sacrifice the speed of carry-on luggage for the comfort of a few extra items in a checked bag.
Getting back to business travel can trigger anxiety, so go easy and make small changes to make the journey more bearable. Having familiar items from home can help ease that anxiety of being back on the road.
Happy travels!
Beck
What We're Reading:
Here's what has piqued our interest this week in the world of wine and mindfulness.
‘Self-Care’ Isn’t the Fix for Late-Pandemic Malaise, in The Atlantic
What we need is to take care of others.
The one perk leaders need to be giving their burned out teams, in Fast Company
The founder and CEO of Modern Health observes that if we assume employees will simply take vacation when they need to manage their mental health needs, we’re setting the wrong tone for future generations of leaders.
Vegan Wines and Where to Find Them, by Meg Maker for Pix
Vegan wines do exist, but misinformation is complicating consumers’ search. Here’s how to find vegan-friendly wines.
12 Ways To Sneak In Mental Health Breaks Throughout Your Day, in Huffington Post
Barely have time for yourself, let alone self-care? Try these quick and easy activities that help reduce stress.
Bear the Hero Dog Who Saved Koalas from Australia's Wildfires Honored with Award, in People.com
Bear the six-year-old Australian Koolie found and helped save over 100 injured koalas caught in scorched areas left behind by Australia's 2019-2020 wildfires.
Why We Need New Ways of Thinking, on Mindful.org
The same old ways of thinking get the same old result. Barry Boyce profiles a few visionary professionals who are carving out a new way of seeing and working in the world.
Meet the Community!
Here we meet some of the people that make our community so dynamic.
Tamara Stanfill, PR Manager (Treasury Wine Estates and Harvest Inn), Founder of Part of the SOULution, Meditation and Yoga Teacher
Years in the Industry:
I’ve been in the wine industry for the past 16+ years and have held many positions from ‘grape to glass,’ with my earliest jobs working in the tasting room at Dr. Konstantin Frank’s in the Finger Lakes and then doing retail sales in New York City at Best Cellars. I also worked as a cellar hand in Tuscany in 2007 with Bibi Graetz at Castello di Vincigliata (aka Testamatta), then ventured into PR, holding positions at Millissime PR in NYC, Westbury Communications in London, and Accolade Wines in the UK. Moving back to the US in 2014, I joined Boisset as Communications Manager for a couple years, before landing at Treasury Wine Estates in 2016.
Prior to working in the wine industry, I was an actor in New York, performing in various ‘Law & Order’ episodes, the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, as well as many other stage and screen appearances. Before that, I spent four years working as an Entertainment Performer at Walt Disney World in Orlando, doing various parades and shows, putting to use my Theatre Arts degree.
My Three Top Challenges to Wellness:
1. Making the time to take care of myself first -- and making myself the priority.
2. Commitments to others, aka wanting to please others -- putting others’ needs ahead of my own.
3. Resistance/Aversion, often disguised as procrastination, laziness, sloth, lack of motivation, numbing out, etc.
How I Keep It Together to Stay Well:
Each day I try to ensure I do a few key things for my own well-being, and I’ve found the things that make me feel good/contented/joyful include:
Meditation, at least 5-30 minutes, preferably to start my day in the morning, but sometimes I’ll end my day with meditation and that’s helpful for transitioning into sleep
Physical movement. I try to do some form of movement at least once a day – a walk, yoga/stretching, bike ride, hike, etc.
Sleep. I’ve found lavender cannabis oil rubbed on the soles of my feet before bed is really helpful to drift peacefully into slumber, as well as an eye mask, and a cool room temp.
Try to stay away from caffeine. Matcha green tea lattes instead of coffee dramatically improved my overall sense of well-being, and I believe contributed to reducing the “negative self-talk chatter” that often co-existed my day to day activity.
Try to eat a paleo diet. I also try to avoid red meat.
Be mindful and conscious of what I’m consuming. What I see/watch, what I listen to, what I eat, who I’m around, conversations I choose to partake in, etc.
Find a moment for creativity/play/inspiration/curiosity, etc. I try to do something ‘fun’ each day that sparks my creativity, to follow my folly, chase curiosity, etc. for no specific reason, other than its something that calls to me.
Incorporate mantras and positive affirmations throughout my day. I’m often saying to myself, “all is well”, or “peace, harmony, well-being” – anything to help me course-correct throughout the day to feel better and lift my energy.
Practice gratitude and thankfulness. I know its cliché but it really does put me in a much better frame of mind.
As a special treat, I go to Monarch Skin Studio for a facial once every couple months, to see Tessa Mazotti (who I used to work with at Boisset). She literally is the best facialist I’ve ever been to! So, it’s a special self-care reward to myself. It’s the day I take off entirely and just indulge in relaxation.
What Inspires Me:
People who are living true and authentically as themselves. Really being in their own skin – allowing others to truly see who they are, and they’re unabashedly themselves.
Learning about people who have faced challenges and chosen courage and bravery in the face of fear, doubt, risk, etc.
People who have faced hardship, struggle, failure, etc. and have gotten back up to tell their tale/share their story in order to inspire others.
Kindness, compassion, humility – I’ll happily follow a leader with these skills any day.
Quotes I Love:
This quote literally stopped me in my tracks one day walking near the Ferry Building in SF: “Everything you want is on the other side of fear.” ― Jack Canfield
You can connect with Tamara on her website, Facebook and LinkedIn.
