If this is your first time taking part on a business trip, or if you have experienced it before but were too nervous or stressed to enjoy it, fret not. Business trips don’t have to be dull and boring. They need to be a perfect balance or work and play. You are obviously there, first and foremost, to work but you’re allowed to sit back and relax a little, as well. Here are 6 ways to make the best of your business trip anywhere you go.

1. Pack light

Try your best to pack everything into one bag. This will make your life so much easier on a business trip because you can just put your bag into the overhead compartment, which means you won’t have to wait at baggage claim and possibly make others wait for you as well, and there is no chance that the airline will lose your luggage.

2. Take advantage

Just because you are on a business trip does not mean you have to spend every second working. Not only will the stress not help you be more efficient, but you would be wasting a perfectly good opportunity to use the hotel amenities that you did not have to pay for.

3. Pack multi-use outfits

We’ve already established that you should try your best to only pack one bag with you, and one way you can do this is to pack outfits that you can wear to meetings as well as out on the town. Pack items that you can dress up or dress down with minimal additions or subtractions; this will ensure that you will look sharp when you’re in a meeting and casual when you are not.

4. Be prepared

Make sure you do all of your preparation before you leave. If you need to learn a new brief or read up on a client, do it before you leave on your trip so that you’re not running around in a panic when you could be relaxing. Preparing before your trip is one sure-fire way of ensuring you get time to relax on your trip.

5. Keep drinking to a minimum

Remember that you are, after all, on a trip. If you can, finish all of your work early and try to take a day or half a day to yourself. Get out of the hotel and explore the town you’re in, or just sit and lounge by the hotel pool.

Business trips can be dull but there are always ways to make them slightly more enjoyable. Remember to be prepared, take advantage, and enjoy yourself. Following these few tips will have you leaving your trip relaxed and feeling accomplished.