1. PACK LIGHT

When working on the go, you quickly learn how little you actually need. You become a expert at compartmentalising and making sure everything in your bag serves a purpose. If you’re travelling across different climates, try to make pit stops to re-pack or find a somewhere to leave warmer clothes behind for legs of your journey.

If you don’t have existing injuries, lugging extra weight around everyday can be damaging in itself. As someone who suffers from chronic lower back pain, the logistics of getting my stuff from A to B is something I need to put some extra thought into. Uber’s airport flat rates far outweigh the costs of wading through public transport systems with heavy bags.

Invest in a backpack for your travel/work essentials, as you never know how a day will evolve. For me, that means my Macbook Air, iPhone, chargers, travel adaptor, earphones, notebook, pen, small makeup bag, wallet, and a pair of sunglasses.

Travelling can be the most fruitful way of discovering how little material possessions really matter. Begin your journey as light as possible (if you’re anything like me, you’ll accumulate more anyways) and invest your money in experiences along the way. As they say, “travel is the only thing you can buy that makes you richer”.

Coming home after a long trip, you may find you’ll want to reassess your possessions and do a proper spring cleaning!

2. PREPARE FOR THE AIR

The days of glamorous jet-setting are long gone. Flying at high speed and high altitude in a sealed vessel can produce a cocktail of negative effects, which we all get a glimpse of in the airport bathroom mirror after touch down.

Most airports only serve overpriced and unhealthy food, so you’re better off picking up a salad and healthy snacks on the way there. Not only does gas in the stomach and intestines expand as an aircraft climbs, but our taste buds actually become numb, too. Research shows the altitude actually makes our perception of sweet and saltiness drop by 30%. Plane food is packed with sodium, preservatives and calories to keep you satisfied in your seat. Yum!

Airplanes are also incredibly dehydrating. Bring your own refillable water bottle and ask the flight attendants to fill it up each time they pass by. Much against popular demand, drinking on airplanes or in airports is a bad idea if you want to feel on top of your game — opt for tomato juice instead.

Pressurised cabins means that lower oxygen levels also contribute to your fatigue, as well as obstruct your blood flow. Investing in a comfy neck pillow made of memory foam is a total game changer. An eye mask and earplugs may well become a saviour for sleep throughout your entire trip, so make sure you’ve packed those as well.

Most importantly, try to move! Minimal legroom and long periods of immobility can be somewhat counteracted by wearing comfortable clothing, having a stretch in the gangway, rolling your ankles regularly and doing quick neck releases while constricted in your seat. Keep moving and stretching after touch-down to help digestion and get your blood flowing.