If you forget to switch your phone to silent while you rest, specially when you are weary after a 24-hour flight, can disrupt a good night's sleep. This is more dramatic when you cross time zones and your destination's nighttime is midday at your home city. Therefore, you might receive calls or messages while you are trying to have a good night sleep after those tiring long flights. Interrupting your sleep patterns, particularly when you are struggling and dealing with jet lag may hinder your productivity during your business trip.

Therefore, for iPhone users, it is important to become familiar with an automatic feature named do not disturb which can save you from waking up in the middle of the night because of a call.

Once you enable this feature, it silences your phone during the hours you specify, while still allowing calls through from VIPs like your partner or employer.

You can find this feature underneath the control centre in the iPhone's Settings app and once you open it, you need to tap on schedule to set your permanent sleeping hours. After that you can set your limits on who can reach you during that time.

If you click on favorites you can pick your preferred contacts including your partner and boss who are most likely to know where you are and what time it is in your destination so wouldn't wake you up in the middle of the night unless it was urgent. Meanwhile, you can silence calls from other contacts.

You can chose those favorites via the iPhone's separate Contacts app by calling up their contact card, hitting add to favorites, selecting the correct phone number and you've completed that task.

You can always change your favorites by opening contacts, clicking the favorites icon at the bottom left and clicking edit at the top.

In contrast, you can use the everyone option if you are contacted from private or varying number and need those, as it silences other beeps such as for emails and text messages yet still need allowing your phone to ring.

For those choosing favorites or no one, your phone can also be set to ring if the same person tries to call twice within three minutes. However, you should this feature with cause as it often results in callers who hang up and dial again.

If you are expecting an important call, you can disable do not disturb on a one-off basis by swiping up on your phone to reveal the Control Centre, and then you can click on the moon icon. This feature makes your phone temporarily ring, beep or vibrate as usual when somebody calls you, texts you or other notifications come through; however, your phone automatically returns to your usual quite schedule the following day.

As the do not disturb feature relies on your phone's local time, you won't need to adjust your settings when traveling overseas or even interstate. Your phone will adapt to your regular schedule according to your destination's time.

Just make sure that your phone is set to identify where you are by browsing to Settings, then click General, then hit Date and Time and choose set automatically so your iPhone's time will automatically change when you cross between time zones, and you won't have to flick your phone to silent overnight.

If you are a business traveler, you probably have stored confidential information in either your laptop, smartphone or online email accounts. For that reason, as information is highly valued, security is of extra importance. Not only do you need to be aware of your company's data security, but backing up your work is crucial as well. Laptop users usually overlook the need to back up their own work and this often leads people into a panic when files are lost and they are trying to recover them.

As an employee, your duty is to make sure your files are backed up, your data is safe, and you are handling your work tasks while traveling. Here are some ways to make sure your security and backup strategies are in place as you travel for work.

First, you need to back up. Regular backups are important can be done by purchasing a small UBS drive that connects to your computer. You need to keep this USB drive connected to your computer and setup the backup through Windows or Mac. That way, in the case that your laptop dies or is unavailable, you'll be able to access your files through the USB which can be taken anywhere.

As to security, you need to shut down your computer properly. It is not enough to just shut the screen just because it is annoying to wait for it to shut down. If you only shut down the screen, you are risking your security because anytime a USB is plugged into your laptop while it's still on, your data can be copied onto the flash drive.

Someone might try to steal your data without you even knowing it. This could also happen to mobile phones or tables. Therefore, shut all of your equipment down or set passwords to avoid the risk.

Even though a password is important, you should set up an encryption as it offers even more protection in the case of theft or a loss. If you store customers' data for a law office or insurance company for example, a lost laptop with compromised data can be a disaster. Encrypt all of your laptop, tablet, and any other mobile device's data and back it up to avoid a big problem. This includes the entire physical drive rather than just folders.

After you back up, you have to keep the backup with you wherever you go. For the traveler, a good idea would be to keep it in your hotel room's safe, which is probably the safest option to keep your backup. You can also keep backups online but you need to have firewalls up to block connection requests which can be done with an IT staff member.

Anytime that you make a connection in a hotel, restaurant, cafe, etc, be sure to enable VPN because it's encrypted by default and your data won't be compromised. It's the most secure option compared to the hotel's network, despite it's slower connection.

As an ultimate resource, be sure to keep a powerbank or spare battery with you for your phone, laptop or tablets because you may otherwise be forced to share a charge box station at the airport. Use these tips to stay secure and make traveling not a stressful factor while you run your business.

Bleisure is the combination of business and leisure and is used to describe a new trend that is on the rise among business travelers, those who mix business with leisure travel.

Bleisure trips are rising fast as a common form of travel worldwide, according to a new report from Bridgestreet Global Hospitality published by Skift, The survey, which interviewed 640 respondents, found that 60% said they were more likely now to take bleisure trips today than they were five years ago.

About the same percentage said they had combined business with leisure on their corporate trips, with 30% saying they had added as many as two vacation days to their trips. Those who didn't said they would have if they'd had more time.

But what kind of leisure activities do they embark on? Sightseeing, dining and arts/culture are the top three. 54% of bleisure travelers said they bring family members or significant others. (though this latter category was not defined) with them. 39% do not bring a significant other or family member with them but would like to.

One of the most surprising findings are that 1 in 7 companies already have policies that cover bleisure or bleisure-like travel, undeniably another initiative by companies to keep employees happy and loyal to the company they work for.

As you might guess, Millennials are the demographic which takes the most bleisure trips, given the way they have grown, always aiming at making the most of leisure activities. Close attention should be paid to the fast-growing 25-34 age group - the Millennials, the reports authors say. More dominant in this study than the 35-44 age range, this is a generation that are natural inhabitants of the digital, blurred lifestyle and are very open to bleisure travel.

The report concludes that businesses should be encouraging bleisure travel with nearly four out of five respondees agreeing that adding leisure days to business trips added value to work assignments.

Miriam Rayman says it adds cultural intelligence strategist. The bleisure generation was a particular entrepreneurial type who would turn an evening out over drinks into a networking opportunity.

The folks at Bridgestreet Global Hospitality - a company that provides serviced apartments - short-term rentals with housekeeping and utilities included. They conducted a survey to back up their bleisure claims, even though based on past data, there is not enough information gathered to ascertain if there is an actual distinguished new trend.

According to historic data, there has long been a group of the business travel professionals that have leisure activities onto business trips.

Travel-related business such as Bridgestreet, are obviously eager to appeal to these customers who are willing and able to spend more money per trip than those who like to keep their travel strictly professional. Therefore, marketing neologism such as bleisure can help companies think about how to attract certain groups of customers.

When it comes to the business traveler, adding a few extra personal days on to a business trip can be a fascinating experience. However, not all of corporate travelers have that much flexibility. Whether you need to get back to headquarters after a closing a deal or personal commitments can draw you back and keep you from booking an extra day in a destination, or you just can't afford to pay on your own for these leisure activities, not every business traveler can incorporate leisure into their business trip.

New year, new life, new opportunities to improve habits and here are some ideas for corporate travelers to make the most of their business trips.

First of all, as you spend a considerable amount of your life traveling, you should make the most of it. If you are travelling, you are not sticking to a 9-5 hours or getting weekends off, traveling takes over your whole life. This means you should have some fun. Kat Cohen, a university admissions counselor and founder of IvyWise, hopes to build in time to experience one event that is for pleasure on each business trip, even if it's just a meal or one museum.

Cheryl Andrews, president of Cheryl Andrews Marketing Communications, also hopes to work at least one event of culture or beauty into every trip. She started in early on her resolutions this past fall, flying in to London ahead of a November business trip to tour the Victoria & Albert Museum and attend a classical concert.

Leon Rbibo, who frequently travels to Tahiti, Japan and Hong Kong for his Los Angeles-based jewelry company, The Pearl Source, says one of his resolutions for 2016 is to extend my arrival and departure by one day each; landing a day early and staying a day later in order to take the time to enjoy some of the places I visit.

When you are travelling, it's easy to eat junk food, especially when you eat out and are jet lagged, also it is hard to keep a routine of exercise. Therefore, as a new year resolution, business travelers should attempt to stay fit and exercise while traveling, go to the fitness centers at the hotel, enjoy sports outside in the city they are visiting, enjoy nature and try to eat healthy. Also travelling can be unsettling and stressful, so just try to stay calm and find a way to do that, even if it includes meditation or reducing caffeine, plus exercise should help you to do that.

Jamie Sigler, founding partner of J Public Relations, based in San Diego, plans to leave time to listen to a daily meditation to keep calm and carry on when I am traveling for work. Two apps I'm loving are buddhify and Smiling Mind.

Sigler's colleague at J Public Relations, Ali Lundberg, pledges to pack her running shoes so she can explore urban trails more.

With not a lot of time to explore a destination during business travel, and the desire to get my morning fitness routine checked off the list, combining the two is at the top my resolutions list, Lundberg said.

As a business professional, the information you possess on your electronic devices or online is probably confidential, but you mostly work online, so you have to take the necessary precautions to protect yourself online.

David Grubb, president of CMIT Solutions of Tribeca, an information technology solutions and services company, is encouraging clients to improve their cybersecurity in the new year so that they're as safe online on the road as they are at home.

Grubb recommends backing up all data, updating passwords, avoiding public Wi-Fi (including free airport networks) because the networks are not secure, and using the two-step authentications for all financial or purchasing transactions.

To be healthy and stay fit, it is important to exercise, but workouts should only be 20% of the effort. 80% is nutrition. Therefore, if you have to, change up your dinner plans and cut out snacks. In fact, losing weight and being healthy is always on everyone's New Year's resolutions list.

Jared Blank, chief marketing officer of Deal News, a shopping comparison site based in Alabama, says travelers who frequent the same cities for work tend to fall into a rut where they eat at the same restaurants every time they go... But to spice things up, they should try and avoid the same places they always go to. This would also maker the trip more fun.

Gayle B. MacIntyre of Global Ink Communications says that as a frequent business traveler who works in the hospitality industry, my resolution for 2016 is to cut out the peanuts, pretzels and Biscoff cookies. Empty calories add up for frequent business travelers. Arriving at a destination sans the salt and sugar has got to be a better and healthier way to arrive energized.

Another resolution could be not to rush the connecting flights. This might not help those who hate hanging around the airport, but Pamela Wagner pledges to build in three to four hours between flights as a way to cut stress.

Why? I can absolutely calmly go into one of the lounges and enjoy all their facilities, and have a good two to three hours of concentrated, uninterrupted work, said Wagner, who has her own digital marketing business and is currently based in Austria.

Even if you are not are frequent flyer on an airline, Wagner it's worth it to pay for an airline lounge pass to access showers, work stations, good food and drinks. After that relaxing, self-pampering period, she can calmly board her flight, watch a movie, get some rest and be ready to work. It's an ideal rhythm, she said.