👋 Hey Reader!

Here’s what I’ve got for you in today’s issue of WFH Dads:

→ Your routine vs. work travel

→ Recommendation of the week - All-in-one Apple device charger

Let's get into it.

Your routine vs. work travel

Last week I flew to Palm Springs, CA for a work offsite.

The entire marketing department (about 100 people) got together for a few days. I got in at 7pm on Monday and after dropping my luggage off in my room, I joined the dinner and drinks that were happening with the team. I had not actually met many of my colleagues in person yet.

Around 9:30pm, (which was 11:30pm in my normal time zone), I was sitting there with some team mates who were planning on getting more drinks, more food (Wingstop delivered to the hotel...I freaking love Wingstop), and hanging out for a few more hours.

I'm a pretty sociable person and had to decide if I was going to try and maintain my normal routine and get to bed or if I was going to stay up and indulge in the Wingstop goodness...

Routines are hard when you travel

I'm a very routine-oriented person. A typical day for me includes:

• waking up at 5:00am to read my bible and pray
• exercising everyday
• tracking my calories
• drinking 64oz of water
• drinking 2 cups of coffee max (before noon)
• not eating after 7:00pm
• staying off social media after 8:30pm (usually)
• in bed by 9:30pm

It's very easy for all of that to go out the window when I'm traveling for work, which is about 2 times per year.

Often, it's a cascading effect. If I stay up late hanging out, it becomes difficult to wake up early to read or exercise. So then I have a sluggish start to the morning which leads to me just pounding coffee throughout the day (with barely any water). And then the more I eat and snack on food I don't normally eat, the harder it is to actually track the calories.

Throw in the time zone differences and it's a recipe for a super unhealthy week.

It's very easy to throw my hands up and just say 'eh, none of the routines are happening this week' but it doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing approach.

My approach

I think through what aspects of my routine I CAN try and maintain.

On this last trip, I made it a goal be back in my hotel room by 9:30pm. I knew if I was back in time, I'd be able to get enough sleep to wake up early, read my Bible, pray, and get a workout in before breakfast.

And for the most part, I was able to stick to that routine (made it back closer to 10:00pm one night). So no, I did not stay up and enjoy the Wingstop with the team.

The next morning, I woke up and was able to go on a beautiful run.

But I decided I wasn't going to track my calories and I'd just enjoy whatever meals we were served.

I definitely ate a lot more than normal. It's so hard not to grab another Twix that's just there when you're sitting through presentations. And it served as a reminder on why I try not to keep much junk food in the house (or if I do, it's put out of sight so I almost forget about it).

Because my willpower sucks.

So while I did get back to my hotel before 10pm and got my workouts in, it will still take a week or so to recover from the trip. Since I ate so much (and often late at night), my sleep still suffered (my Oura was like 'uh...you okay?'). And it'll take some time back on my normal diet before my weight returns to baseline.

But for me, I'd much rather try and maintain a couple routines then let everything fall by the wayside.

Try this before your next work trip:

If you struggle to maintain your routines when you travel for work, here's a few things to consider:

• What is 1 routine you could prioritize? Deciding beforehand makes it more likely you'll be able to stick to it. Potential routines you could consider:
  • how much will you eat?
  • how much alcohol will you drink?
  • how much water will you drink?
  • how much coffee with you drink?
  • how much time will you make just to be by yourself?
  • how late will you stay out?
  • how early will you wake up?
  • how much will you exercise?
• For the routines you don't prioritize, how long will it take for you to bounce back?​
  ​
• Consider how often you travel for work. The damage of a few unhealthy days is much greater if you travel 2x per month than if you travel 2x per year.

Good luck on that next trip!

Recommendation of the week

​Apple all-in-one travel charger​

I've got two of these chargers; one in my bedroom and one for when I travel. It's so convenient to throw my iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods on one single charging station. Keeps me from having to remember to bring 3 separate charging charging cables for those 3 devices. Plus it folds up nicely; I keep it in my toiletries bag. Perfect if you're in the Apple ecosystem.

What about you?

How often do you travel for work and which routines are the hardest for you to maintain?

Reply and let me know. I read and respond to all of them.

Thom Gibson Founder of WFH Dads ​​

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600 1st Ave, Ste 330 PMB 92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2246
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