The constant back and forth between unfamiliar places, leaving your loved ones behind, and feeling like you’re at work even during your days off can be a lot to handle.
If you are feeling overwhelmed by business trips, you’re not alone. It is common for corporate travelers to struggle with being away from home so frequently.
When business travel starts to overwhelm you, follow the steps below to ensure your sanity and job remain intact.
1) Book The Right Hotel
Staying at peace while traveling for business starts with having a comfortable hotel room.
Cheap or rundown hotel rooms are not meant to serve as temporary homes. If your trips require extended stays, you should be lodging somewhere that provides all of your personal and business needs.
Consider a hotel that provides the following amenities:
- Laundry service
- Room service
- Business area/ meeting rooms
- Pool/spa
- Fitness Room
- On-site restaurant or bar
- Free wifi
If you need help finding a business hotel that meets your needs, Hotel Engine can help with your search.
2) Talk to Someone
When business travel gets too stressful, talking to someone about your feelings can help.
Contrary to popular belief, therapy is not just a place for the unstable; everyone can benefit from seeing a therapist. Sometimes venting about your stressful situation or emotions is all a person needs to get some relief.
However, you don’t necessarily need to see a therapist to talk to someone. When you begin feeling overwhelmed, calling a loved one can help ease your mind and make you feel closer to home.
3) Take Advantage of Your Freetime
Business trips don’t have to be all work and no play. While away, you do have some free time, and you should take advantage of it.
Traveling to a new city can be exciting. There are tons of activities, sights, and events that are waiting to be experienced. When you have time off, explore the city.
Some activities to consider are:
- Visiting the local museums
- Going to a concert
- Unwinding at a bar
- Checking out a fair or festival
If you’re not up for a night out, consider simply taking a walk. Exposure to sunlight and fresh air does wonders for your mental health.
4) Organize
Without organization, everything can seem overwhelming.
Before, during, and after your trip, make sure you keep all of your work, luggage, records, and equipment organized.
If you have too much work to do, create a schedule.
If you worry about forgetting essential luggage items, create a checklist.
If you have too many expense records, create a spreadsheet.
Having chaos amongst your belongings, records, schedule, etc., can lead to chaos within the mind. With some organization, you might be able to eliminate that feeling of being overwhelmed.
5) Practice Self-Care
For some, business trips are overwhelming because it makes them feel as if they have no time for themselves. If this is the case for you, you should spend some time on yourself.
Self-care is essential for many reasons; It helps you perform at your best, relax, maintain self-confidence and re-energize.
Practicing self-care can be anything from getting a massage to doing a puzzle.
Here are some examples of things you can do while away to help support your well-being.
- Get a massage
- Go to the gym
- Watch television
- Scroll through social media
- Go shopping
- Have a nice meal
- Take a bath
Anything can be self-care as long as you are doing something that makes you happy and are focusing on relaxing and not working.
6) Take a Break
If you are overwhelmed to the point where your mental health is starting to suffer, there is nothing wrong with taking a break.
Talk to your boss and let them know you need some time off or at least some time away from corporate travel. Explain that the constant back and forth between locations is taking a toll on your health, and management should be able to empathize.
If management is not so understanding, know your rights. In most states, it is perfectly legal to go on medical leave to take care of your mental health. Additionally, every state in America accepts mental health days as a reason to call in sick.
No matter what your boss thinks or agrees with, you should prioritize your well-being and take a break if you are overwhelmed.
