Working Away from The Office? How to Keep Motivated and Productive

Trying to work while you’re staying overnight for business? It can be easy to become distracted, but these suggestions should ensure you make the most of your time.

Work offline
Unless you’ve got a valid reason for needing to be online while working, disable the Wi-Fi and put your phone on silent. It can be so easy to check your social media accounts or news sites, text a mate or make personal calls but this will waste valuable time. Even checking emails and responding while you’re partway through a task can slow you down. Procrastination is your enemy!

Find somewhere quiet to work
It’s important that you’re able to focus when working remotely so why not use the desk in your hotel room, visit a library or head to a quiet coffee shop? If you try somewhere and find that background noise is distracting you, try plugging in some earphones or move somewhere else. 

Set goals
Decide what you want/need to achieve with each session/day. Have a written list you can tick off or set reminders in your Outlook.

Don’t be afraid to say no
If you’re at a conference or training course during office hours, you shouldn’t feel obliged to work late into the night to get tasks done. Decide which are urgent and which can wait until you’re back in the office. If you work too hard and don’t rest, you’ll struggle to stay alert in the conference/training course sessions the following day. 

Make sure you have all the tools you need
It sounds obvious but if you go somewhere to work, you don’t want to end up cutting your time short because you’ve forgotten your laptop charger or an important folder. Even if you usually rely solely on a laptop, it can be helpful to have a notepad and a few pens with you.

Tackle the biggest task first
Rather than doing the easiest task or the one you’re looking forward to the most first, choose to do the biggest task. You’ll probably be most productive and switched on in the morning (or whenever you first sit down to work). If you leave it until last, you may find you struggle more and end up working late into the night. 

Be strict with yourself
You might want to check out your new location, but first you need to work. Decide how long you want to work for and stick to it. Once you’ve completed the task/hit the deadline, you can go and have fun as your reward.

Don’t copy others
If you’re on your business trip with someone else and they want to head to the bar or beach instead of working, don’t feel pressured into doing the same. If you did and your manager pulled you up later, you could live to regret it. 
Take regular breaks
Spending several hours in-front of your laptop without a break isn’t good for you and you won’t be productive. Make sure you take regular breaks, whether it’s enjoying lunch in the hotel’s restaurant or going for a short walk. If there’s a pool, why not go for a dip? Ideally, you should be taking a fifteen-minute break every two hours. 


Eat well
Food is fuel, so make sure you fill yourself up and don’t skip meals. It can be tempting to eat unhealthily during any trip, but you really should try to eat as balanced a diet as possible. Likewise, it can be easy to drink more alcohol than you usually would, but this could have a detrimental effect on your productivity. 

Stay hydrated
Make sure you keep drinking plenty of water or you’ll become dehydrated. If this happens, you’ll probably find concentrating difficult and feel more tired than you otherwise would.  

Keep connected
You shouldn’t feel isolated from your work colleagues. You can always pick up the phone or drop them an email. Why not schedule a skype session or two? A quick catch-up call with the office could help you find out what’s been happening while you’ve been away. 


Try not to feel stressed when you’re working away from the office. Our top tips should help you manage your time well and keep on track. Everyone is different, and you’ll find the work pattern that works best for you.

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