3 Realisations Why Travelling Can Boost your Work/Business

What do Rudyard Kipling, Somerset Maughan, Herman Hesse and I have in Common?

We've written at the famous E & O Hotel in Penang!

According to my friend Erika Behl , "It has amazing writing vibes."

Oh come on, Coen! Time to wake up from la-la land!

That's where the similarities end! Those famous men have published award-winning novels, publications yet I am still plugging away at the manuscript of my first book.

Perhaps I was merely "trying to write" while enjoying a good "Old Fashioned" cocktail.

But this article is not about writing or sipping cocktails in high-end places. This post is about why I enjoy working out of Singapore every now and then.

I'm writing this article from the balcony of my hotel in Bukit Tinggi, Sumatra Indonesia.

Yesterday, I arrived to find out that 99% of the people here don't speak English.

This brings me to the first realisation about the benefits of travelling and working...

1) Constraints Lead to Creativity

When we are gifted with multiple options in life, we become complacent in our approach to life. We are in auto-pilot mode. However, when faced with constraints, we find alternative approaches, a different part of our brain is engaged and this shift often trigger new ideas in business and my writing and teaching.

Having to navigate our way through ordering food and asking for directions with whatever limited Bahasa I knew was challenging. It forced me to be extremely focused on reading body language of the people and being economical with my words.

How can I apply this tip to my work, especially as I cannot travel all the time?

Here's a fun activity to try: Use constraints to train yourself to think differently.

For example, when trying to brainstorm new ideas, try thought experiments like asking yourself:

How will I approach parenting if I cannot see?

How will I lead my team if I cannot talk?

How will I do my work/business if I cannot walk?"

This leads me to my second benefit...

2) Travelling Dislocates your Reality, Triggering Growth and Creativity

When we travel out of our country of residence, especially to a highly-unfamiliar place, we will experience a temporary shock to our system.

This reminds me of a concept I discussed with my good friend Rocky Esguerra in the recent episode of my "WholeHearted Leadership" Podcast - Homeostasis.

Homeostasis is the process by which a living organism maintains a stable internal environment despite changes in the external environment. This stability is crucial for the organism’s survival and optimal functioning.

When we travel, especially to unfamiliar places, we disrupt our usual routines, environments, and stimuli, pushing us out of our comfort zone. This can be viewed as a temporary disturbance to our psychological and emotional homeostasis. To adapt to these new environments and experiences, our brain must actively process novel information, solve new problems, and make sense of different cultural norms and perspectives. This cognitive engagement can enhance our mental flexibility and creative thinking.

For example, I noticed yesterday that most of the women here in Indonesia (especially the upper class ones) are so modestly yet classily clad in their full length clothes and tudung (head-scarves). I had a sudden realisation, "Hmmm, their make up looks so immaculate and like an artwork they look so beautiful! Perhaps, selling cosmetics is very lucrative in this market!"

How can I apply this tip to my work, especially as I cannot travel all the time?

Take short trips, even a day-trip to a neighbouring town or country can rejuvenate you. For example, there's a cafe in neighbouring Johor Bahru I go to, to do my thinking and planning work. For now, the place I shall keep a secret!

This leads me to the third and final realisation...

3) Change your Environment, Change your Energy

As an empath and highly sensitive person, I am usually very in-tune with the energy of a place. When I travel, I tune into a very different vibe, and that's healthy for me.

Back to my experience in Bukit Tinggi. Yesterday, on the road trip up from Padang to Bukit Tinggi, I saw how the locals lived such simple lives yet looked so contented. Life here seems to pass at a pace like I am watching a video at 0.25 times the playback speed when I compare to how we live in Singapore. Slowing down gives me more space and clarity in unpacking things and identifying new opportunities and thought patterns. It helps me to get unstuck from problems and challenges I've been mulling over.

In another of my Podcast Episode, my friend Dr. Cornelia energy-on shared with me the concept of "bovis". The "Bovis scale" is often used in the context of energy management and vibrational frequencies, particularly in holistic and alternative practices. Named after French radiesthesist André Bovis, the Bovis scale is a theoretical measurement of the energy levels or vibrational quality of a place, object, or even a person.

The scale is measured in "Bovis units" (BU). The higher the Bovis units, the higher the supposed energy or vibrational level of that place or object. Generally, a place or object with a Bovis rating below 6,500 is considered to have low or detrimental energy, while a rating between 6,500 to 8,000 is considered neutral. Higher ratings, especially those above 8,000 Bovis units, are thought to indicate places with positive, life-enhancing energy.

Some of the BU rating of some famous places are as follows:

• Bodh Gaya, India: Approximately 12,000 to 18,000 BU
• Vatican City, Rome: Around 10,000 to 14,000 BU
• Stonehenge, England: Approximately 7,000 to 12,000 BU

Back in Singapore, I've often felt like I am trapped in the hustle culture, constantly zapped by "productivity-mode" all the time, a fear of losing out if I just slow down. After all, everyone on LinkedIn looks like they're doing amazing things all the time right?

Therefore, I've often felt the need to go to a different place to experience a different energy to get fresh impetus for my book.

Some of my favourite places are:

• Fremantle, Western Australia - for a safe and tranquil pace of life, kind people, the ocean-front cafes.
• Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada - for the tranquil pace of life, some of the friendliest people I've met, and the fresh seafood
• Penang, Malaysia - For the gentle and tranquil pace of life, close proximity to the sea, and not to mention the great good! Oh and the E & O Hotel

How can I apply this tip to my work, especially as I cannot travel all the time?

Be sensitive to how you work best:

Are you a "morning person" or "night person"?

Where are places you work best in? If you're working from home, perhaps just leaving the home and heading to a nearby cafe can change your mood.

Take a different route to work at least once a week, wake up earlier if you need to. You may see things from new light.

Rounding Up...

Many people have shared with me that they envy me for being able to work from different locations at different times. I have to admit that I am fortunate in many sense.

Well, it's not always the dream lifestyle of writing emails while drinking pina colada at the beach. There will be some inconveniences involved, but proper planning helps to minimise them.

I also get that this lifestyle is not for everyone, but the point is that even if we do not physically travel to different locations, we can find ways to free ourselves from our "autopilot" ways of operating. We can disrupt ourselves regularly to trigger growth and stay agile professionally, intellectually and emotionally.

P.S. Do share with me in the comments below: Where are your favourite places to get a new boost in your energy and wellness?