Most road warriors don’t seek counseling or even a sympathetic voice at the office. But Ratner and other professionals have good advice for those travelers whose schedules can affect job performance, interfere with sleep patterns, produce weight gain and bad health, and even lead to alcoholism or depression. Developing a routine is essential. So is understanding one’s own habits and coming up with tricks that reinforce the best of them. NEWSWEEK canvassed travel experts and came up with these basic strategies:
RULE 1: Reduce Stress. If you’re on the road a lot, the hassles add up. That’s even more true in the post-9/11 world of security checks, airline-budget cuts and terrorism fears. Kathy Sudeikis, vice president of All About Travel, a $60 million corporate- and leisure-travel agency in Mission, Kans., suggests flying early in the day when more flights are on time. Kevin Mitchell, chairman of the Business Travel Coalition, prefers flying after 10 a.m.–still early, but late enough to avoid rush hour. Similarly, satellite airports that don’t serve as hubs might take a little longer to reach, but are generally easier on the nerves.
RULE 2: Avoid Unnecessary Details. Mitchell tries to park in the same area at the Philadelphia airport parking garage on his biweekly trips, so he doesn’t have to remember. He also books flights at the same time every trip. And don’t forget the basics: avoid checked baggage. With budget cuts, there are fewer people than ever handling baggage nowadays.
RULE 3: Follow Routines. Add structure where you can, like getting to bed on schedule and exercising daily at the same time. “If you commute to work every day in a routine, you generally don’t remember the drive,” says Brian Weatherill, a consultant for Electronic Data Systems, who’s been traveling every other week since 1995. It’s the same on a business trip. Weatherill tries to go the same hotels, “so the rooms look the same. It’s crazy little stuff like knowing where the light switch is that can make a difference.”
RULE 4: Have Fun. If you have to go to lots of new places, make the best of it (even if it means finding hotel light switches in different places). If you’re that type, take advantage of business travel. John Bankhurst, a senior associate for KPMG in Chicago, travels two weeks a month, and tries to eat at a new restaurant in every city. Weatherill makes it a point to loosen up his local colleagues by getting them to show him places around town, and translate the same phrase in every country: “I don’t want any pickles on my Big Mac.” The key is to do “anything to have something to talk about other than work,” he says. Life on the road can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be miserable. A little planning can keep you effective–and happy enough until you arrive back home.
