These days everyone is doing it: travelling for business. No longer reserved for the high-flying corporate leaders, travel for business is part of job descriptions in every field. Along with the excitement of travel for business comes added stress, of course, which needs to be taken into consideration and your best efforts made to reduce potential stressors.
One of the biggest stress factors in relation to travel is Being On Time. Who hasn’t had dreams leading up to the date of travel where a plane flight is missed or a train leaves without you? Dreams like these are a reflection of your subconscious fears and thus they are playing at the back of your mind and taking up valuable energy that could be put to better use in your business life. Better to set those fears aside by making sure that you can’t possibly be late.
When travelling, it’s best not to be reliant on the wall clock, bedside clock or alarm clock in your hotel room. Don’t rely on your mobile phone alarm either; mobile phones have been known to automatically reset the time to the time zone you enter, thus making your alarm (which you cleverly set before your departure) useless. Thus, having your own travel clock is an ideal way to make sure that you won’t miss your wake-up alarm. Setting your own travel clock is easier than fumbling with the hotel room’s clock at some ungodly hour and risking the chance of it not working properly or not being loud enough.
Thankfully travel clocks are not hard to come by in this day and age and you can find one that suits you perfectly. The lightweight travel alarm clock is the ideal companion for trips whereexcess baggage may end up unexpectedly costing you. Even though most travel items these days are made to be lightweight for travel deliberately, it’s always worth checking for a weight designation on the box.
When you travel with your own clock, you will be sure of having an alarm that you know how to set, and whose alarm sound is familiar enough to cause your brain to say, “Hey, wakeup-wakeup-wakeup, it’s time to get to work!” and you will no longer have to worry about the horrible Fear of Being Late.
Choosing the right travel pillow can mean the difference between a great vacation and a vacation plagued by sleep deprivation. Something as simple as your pillow can make a big difference in how well you sleep, so making sure you’ve chosen the right one for whatever adventure you’re embarking on is crucial.
Travel pillows come in a wide variety of shapes, materials and sizes. Memory foam neck pillows are popular for airline, car and train travel because they offer support and comfort, however they’re a bit heavier than other forms types of travel neck pillows. That additional weight is the price you pay for that level of comfort, I suppose. If you’re looking for something a little lighter, you might want to get a microbead pillow (also sometimes called a moshi pillow). These are those squishy pillows you’ve felt that have tiny beads in them when you give them a squeeze. These pillows are much lighter, in comparison to a memory foam travel pillow, and can usually be compressed to conserve space if necessary.
Of course, for backpacking and other forms of adventure travel, you’re going to have to take the transportability of your pillow a little more seriously. Some people will merely improvise a pillow in these situations – a bunch of clothes stuffed in a waterproof bags works fairly well, but can be lumpy and uncomfortable. You’re much better off with a camping pillow. These pillows are often made of a light fill of cotton, fleece, or down, and have a soft cotton, flannel of fleece cover. They are “packable;” meaning they can be compressed, the cover used to keep the pillow small, and tightly compacted. The biggest negative of these camping pillows is that they are often a bit soft for many people, and often don’t provide the support that backpackers, and campers desire. If you’re one of those who needs a more supportive rest, then you’re probably going to want to look into an inflatable travel pillow. Inflatable travel pillows are generally self-inflating, and provide more support than standard camping pillows. They are not made of the softest outer materials though, so you might want to purchase a small travel pillow case, or simply use a t-shirt or other piece of clothing to make it a bit more comfortable to sleep on. Inflatable pillows are extremely lightweight, and packable, which really makes them the best choice for your outdoor sleeping gear.
My pillow - It's very comfy
The comfort of your sleeping arrangements can really make or break the success of your trip. Some people absolutely can’t sleep without the benefit of a comfortable pillow. Me? I’ve a rather hard head, so I prefer to use a small pile of rocks as a pillow, but most people prefer the comfort of a nice travel pillow.
