The Energizer Bunny ain’t got nothing on me (in my Denzel from Training Day voice). I am completely overworked and my life is totally over scheduled. Since the beginning of 2018, I have been going nonstop. In the first five months of the year, I’ve been on no less than 50 flights. Between business travel and the blog, I have been all over the country doing all kinds of things. And while all my travels have benefitted and enriched my life, I am NOT trying to secure the bag at the cost of my family or my sanity. 

As a business owner and consultant, I have a great group of diverse clients all across the country. Because of this, I get to travel extensively on behalf of my business partnerships. I have been to all 50 states — at least twice. Since January, I have traveled to 14. As you can imagine, I don’t get much down time at all. After spending all day in the office, there is networking, dinner and cocktails in the evening. On repeat. 

Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, I was a corporate executive with a very, VERY similar schedule. This has been my life since 2004. Fourteen years of non-stop business travel and very little time at home with my husband of 8 years is starting to annoy me more than ever. Also, it can feel impossible to find time for myself. Here are a few of the ways I find time to unwind while on the road. 

5 Ways For The Business Traveler To Unwind

1. Book a hotel with an in-house spa. Whether my trip will be hectic or not, I always carve out some time to get a relaxing massage or a special body treatment. I’ve even purposely booked specific hotels that provide in-room services for those rare days that I get to work for my room.
2. Select a extended stay hotel with lots of activities. On trips that will last weeks at a time, I will stay at an extended stay hotel like the Residence Inn. They offer game nights and cocktail hours that encourage networking with our business guests. Meeting new friends on the road is always nice.
3. Stay longer. Whenever possible, I will add a day (or two) onto my trip. This gives me time to unwind any way I choose. Most times I spend this extra day in bed, sleeping late, watching movies and ordering room service.
4. Visit a friend or meet up with your significant other. When I met my (would-be) husband, he was also a frequent business traveler. That gave us the opportunity to meet up on the road all over the country. We have made so many memories in so many places thanks to our road warrior existence.
5. Be A Tourist. I am notorious for researching the cities I visit. Learning about the culture and local fares of new places has become a hobby. And any historical sites are must-sees for me. This so annoys my colleagues even though they have to admit they’ve learned a lot of interesting things on my adventures.

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