Business travel involves endless uncertainties and risks, including flight delays, missed flights, lost luggage, theft, travel fatigue, and natural disasters. Employees spend considerable time away from their near ones while on business trips, which can make them feel homesick. The recent pandemic added to these challenges, making business travelers anxious about their health. These aspects along with many others of business travel result in business travel stress impacting the employee’s travel experience and productivity.
Causes of business travel stress
Travel exposes business travelers to unknown territories and people, besides different environments. Stress results from anxiety, which can impact the traveler in several ways. Multiple stress triggers like family matters, unhappiness, and personal health issues can affect your health and business. Business travel by itself can trigger anxiety.
Several factors can cause stress of business travel, including:
- Jetlag
- Language barriers
- Performance pressure
- Inability to attend family functions
- Family concerns
- Neglect of personal fitness
- Lack of rest or sleep
- Quality of food
- Travel disruptions
- Communication issues
How to reduce/manage stress while traveling on business trips
Most business travelers, including seasoned road warriors, experience business travel stress. Staying organized can help reduce the stress of business travel to a large extent. Read on to understand ways to manage stress before and during the business trip.
1. Pre-trip planning
Business travel stress management must start with good planning and an exhaustive checklist of things you will need during travel, stay, and business meetings. Make a complete list of travel essentials, including travel chargers, toilet kits, first-aid, medications, casual wear, and noise-canceling earbuds. Be sure to complete your meeting preparations before the start of travel. You may use transit time to give the finishing touches to your presentation.
Have clarity about the goals of the business trip and prepare a proper schedule to ensure flawless execution of the plan. It is worth preparing a detailed itinerary by considering travel time between meetings. Allow a buffer time between two client meetings to accommodate delays because of unexpected issues.
2. Traveling to the destination
Consider booking direct flights to the destination to reduce the stress of business travel. Book accommodation close to the city center or venue of the business event. It will minimize the stress of city traffic and delays. Online travel management tools like Paxes helps you book travel with no hassles. It provides access to a vast travel inventory through the GDS and regional LCCs.
Try pre-check facilities to reduce the delays because of security screenings. Try getting some sleep while traveling, as it will make you fresh on arrival. Use downtime during travel or layovers to complete your work. It will mitigate stress as there is no pending work when you arrive at the destination.
3. Stress management during the stay
Getting sufficient rest before you attend business meetings is essential to manage jet lag. Booking a comfortable stay should be a priority, as it will improve your productivity. Check local transportation options. Pre-booking local transport will save time and reduce stress. Start early to reach the meeting venue to avoid delays because of traffic congestion.
Explore the surroundings during your free time to get the feel of the place. Plan some fun activities for unwinding after hectic meetings or business events. Do not forget to follow an exercise routine, including breathing exercises for mental relaxation. Stay in touch with near ones to relieve the stress of being away.
4. After the business trip
Take a day off after returning home after a business trip. Use the time to catch up with your family and de-stress. Prepare notes of the business meetings during the business trip. You may use the downtime during travel or after you return home to make a comprehensive report about the outcome of a business trip. It will help you present your achievements and feedback with no stress.
The takeaway
Although corporate trip hassle is unavoidable aspect of business trips, you can ensure employee well-being by providing a unified travel management platform to reduce the stress of business travel. Employers must safeguard employees during business trips as part of their duty of care obligations.
Travel management programs like Paxes provide real-time employee tracking for prompt action during emergencies. Employees can access the travel management portal through a smartphone app for travel booking without violating the travel policy. It reduces the stress of finding travel suppliers and facilitates instant booking.
Adopting the SaaS-based travel management platform of Paxes enhances the employee travel experience by reducing business travel stress. Follow above mentioned tips to enjoy a stress-free and productive business trip.
Suggested Read: 11 Business Travel Tips For A Comfortable Corporate Travel
Business Travel Stress FAQs
What are the health risks during business travel?
Besides the possibility of contagious infections like flu and cold, travel involves risks of injuries, backache fractures, food poisoning, water-borne diseases, and sleep disorders.
Does training help address business travel stress?
Employers should train employees by sharing tips and guidelines about eating right, personal fitness, and the value of sufficient rest to beat business travel stress.
How to recognize signs of stress and burnout?
One may experience sleep disturbances, exhaustion, impairment of immunity, and loss of focus because of business travel stress.
What is post-trip business travel stress?
Many factors cause post-trip stress, such as expense reporting, catching up on office routines, and managing household tasks.
Which factors can cause business travel stress during air travel
Missed or delayed flights, unfamiliar airports, layovers, tight connections, security screenings, and traveling economy class during long-haul flights are a few business travel stress factors.
