In this post our frequent guest writer, Jesse Clark, provides travel tips for those traveling on business. Check out the links included, they contain useful resources. Jesse’s bio sketch is below. 

There are a few reasons why traveling for work can be bad for your health. One of them is the stress that comes with it. Then, when you’re constantly on the go, it’s hard to find time to take care of yourself or get enough sleep or exercise. That’s why The Independent Tourist has assembled some tips and resources to help you stay healthy and safe when you travel.

Eating Healthier

Eating healthy on the road is not easy. When you are traveling for work, you are most likely eating out for every meal. This can be really expensive and can take a toll on your health.

The first thing to do is pack snacks that will be easy to eat while traveling, like whole-grain pretzels, crackers, bread sticks, trail mix, and protein-high snack bars.

Use your smartphone’s apps to help you find a restaurant with healthy food on the go or healthy options at convenience drive-thru restaurants.

Dehydration can also be a huge problem for those who travel for work. If possible, bring your own insulated water bottle, one that can close tightly and keep your water cool – this especially helpful on long airplane trips. And stay away from alcohol, as it also causes dehydration.

Getting Enough Sleep

Traveling for work can cause some major disruptions in your sleep schedule. A lot of people find themselves staying up late or waking up early to catch a flight, and then they feel tired when they arrive at their destination.

The best way to combat jet lag is to try to maintain your normal sleep schedule as much as possible. This means going to bed at the same time every night, even if it’s not the normal bedtime in the new time zone.

There are a lot of apps to help you both fall asleep and wake up, like The Sleep Genius app for Android or travel-size room humidifiers that add moisture to dry hotel room air.

Getting Enough Exercise

When traveling for work, it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the day. As you’re meeting with clients, attending meetings, and staying up late to finish that report, it’s hard to find time to exercise or take care of yourself. Do some research before booking a hotel so that you will have access to a gym or pool, and make sure it’s something that appeals to you. It’s also a good idea to bring your workout clothes with you as well as any equipment you’ll need.

If you don’t have access to a gym, you can always get your exercise the old-fashioned way. Depending on your hotel’s proximity to restaurants and stores, you could walk instead of driving to run errands. That’ll help you fit in a little exercise and stay active on your trip.

Traveling With Your Dog

Traveling with your dog is great for companionship and safety when walking and jogging, as well as saving you money on boarding facilities. If it’s possible to bring your dog with you when you travel, bring a dog first aid kit and an extra leash, and ensure ID tags and their microchip are up-to-date. A GPS dog collar is a wise investment since it’s too easy for your dog to become lost in a strange place with no way to get back home. Find one that utilizes real-time mapping, allowing you to track your dog from a handheld device or your smartphone. This means you can keep up with your dog’s location as they move.

Hotel Safety

• Lock your door or room when you are inside, never let anyone else in without your permission, and keep your door locked when you are out of the room as well. When inside, engage the deadbolt and privacy latch or chain.
• If you have any valuables, keep them with you at all times or lock them up in the hotel safe. Or, place money and valuables in the safe deposit box at the hotel’s front desk. At a minimum, get a small lock for your suitcase and be sure to lock it up while you’re out of your room.
• Ask where the nearest fire stairwell is located. Make a mental note of which direction you must turn and approximately how many steps there are to the closest fire stairwell.
• Sensitive documents should be placed in the safe but always back them up with digitized copies. Adding pages to PDFs you can keep everything together. Try using this free tool in order to combine PDF files and stay organized.

Be Your Own Boss

Another way to take some of the stress out of traveling for business is to simply become your own boss! You can do this by starting your own company. Of course, you’ll need to settle on a business structure. An LLC is a popular choice because of the legal protections and tax benefits, as well as the reduced paperwork. You can set it up yourself, or better yet, work with an online formation service.

With some smart planning, from things like packing healthy snacks and knowing how to keep yourself safe in your hotel to organizing documents for travel and keeping your pet secure, you can make any business trip safe, healthy, and productive.

Jesse Clark is a traveler, so she’s no stranger to experiencing wanderlust and that strong desire to travel. She’s already had enough experiences to last a lifetime, but she’s not stopping anytime soon. Find out more and contact her through soulful-travel.com.

The Independent Tourist has all the travel tips you’ll ever need! To get in touch, please email theindependenttourist@gmail.com.

Note: Image courtesy of Pexels.