As children return to school and pumpkin patches open their gates, the crisp air of autumn can usher in a season full of cozy sweaters and hot beverages.
But the start of fall also means the start of cold and flu season, where it’s estimated Americans will experience over 1 billion bouts of sniffles over the course of the season, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Frequent traveling during this period can create a higher risk for contracting illnesses, but it can also take its toll on your physical health in other ways, such as a lack of sleep, increased stress and dehydration. But many travelers don’t even take into account the toll frequent flying can have on your mental health, including high amounts of stress and burnout in an industry already notorious for being extremely stressful.
As airport terminals fill with meeting and event profs ready to take on their next big adventure, here are some tips for staying mentally and physically healthy while traveling for work this fall.
Sleep, Sleep and More Sleep
Even if you’ve heard it a thousand times before, getting a good night’s rest is still the best way to stay mentally and physically fit on the road and at home.
Stewart Mann is the CEO of Wild Rooster Events and has traveled around the country both for his work in the events industry and playing music with his band The Statesboro Revue. He said being a “road dog” for the past 20 years forced him to prioritize his health and well-being while traveling.
“It was really in those moments I had to force myself to take care of myself and pay attention to my body.
“Sleep is everything,” Mann continued. “If you’re not well rested and you’re stressed out then the anxiety levels are higher, you’re not thinking clearly. And since the nature of the events industry is so fast paced, you really have to be on point.”
But sometimes getting those precious eight hours is easier said than done, and many travelers might struggle to get adequate rest while on a trip.
Angela Minardi is the chief experience officer and founder of Fit City Adventures, a wellness company that runs activities and teambuilding exercises that connect people in a fun and fit way. Fit City Adventures operates in about 50 cities, meaning Minardi has been a frequent traveler over the company’s six years of existence.
Minardi says the best way to get the right amount of sleep is to control your sleeping environment as much as possible, even in a hotel room. She not only sets her room to an optimal sleeping temperature of 68 degrees, but also makes specific requests of hotels in order to maximize her chance of getting a good night’s rest.
“I actually ask hotels to put me away from the elevator, away from stairs and as close to the top floors as possible,” Minardi explained. “I put in requests for extra pillows and extra blankets because a weighted blanket does help put you into a deeper sleep.”
Event technology expert and bodybuilder Anca Platon Trifan echoed the importance of sleep for staying physically healthy on the road.
“To make sure I get quality rest, I use red night lights and ensure my environment is dark and quiet,” Trifan said. “If I’m having trouble sleeping in a new hotel room, I rely on melatonin, ashwagandha and Somalyze (a sleep aid and fat-burning supplement) to help me wind down.”
Prioritize Self Care
Self care can look like different things to different people, and every event prof has their own way of taking care of themselves after a long day of travel.
For Mann, self care can actually come in the form of knowing what to stay away from while traveling. Mann says monitoring his caffeine levels is something he had to learn on the road, and while high-caffeine items such as Red Bull or 5-hour Energy drinks might be a tempting cure for jet lag, they can end up making you crash later on and don’t provide steady energy levels as something like coffee.
“Anything that will take my focus off of my events I try to avoid,” Mann said.
Self-care can also take the form of maintaining emotional and mental clarity while on the road. It can be hard to be away from loved ones for an extended period of time, and that distance can take a mental toll on you. For Trifan, maintaining this emotional connection is a big part of her self-care and how she maintains mental well-being while traveling.
“I make sure to call my kids during our nightly routine, which helps combat the isolation that can come with travel,” Trifan said. “It’s about balancing the energy and excitement of the event with quiet moments of reconnection.”
Build and Maintain a Routine
Nolan Nichols is a keynote speaker and founder of A Million Dreams, an organization that guides leaders through building resilient and inspiring teams. As Nichols traveled more for his keynotes, he started to prioritize continuing some of his same routines he had at home while traveling, such as going for a walk or doing a morning meditation.
“You might not be able to do the same exact thing on the road, but I bet you can do maybe three-quarters of it,” Nichols said.
Nichols also emphasized the importance of keeping a piece of your home with you on the road, as it can help remind and motivate you to keep your same routine while traveling.
“The alarm clock I use at home, I bring on the road,” Nichols said. “It’s kind of a reminder of like, ‘Hey, I’m in a new place, but I’m also bringing a piece of home with me.’”
Pack the Essentials
Knowing some of the essential items to pack before even heading out the door for your trip can help save a lot of time and energy while traveling. Vitamin supplements can help to reduce the likelihood of getting sick while traveling, and packing healthy snacks can help to reduce the temptation of buying unhealthy snacks at the airport or hotel.
“I’m also packing Tylenol, headache medicine,” Nichols added. “Sometimes when I’m running really low on sleep, I can get a bit of a migraine. You could walk across the street to the CVS, but that takes time. And when you’re in pain, you kind of want something right then.”
But packing is not always just about outfits and medications. Nichols says that one of the things he always packs on a trip are blank stationary note cards. He uses those cards as sort of mini gratitude journals that he then shares with people while he’s onsite at a conference or event.
“So I’ll kind of write down like, ‘Hey, you’re doing amazing at your job,’ and I’ll give that to them,” he explained. “Or at the end of an event, I’ll write out, ‘You really crushed it in this role”—just a couple of sentences, doesn’t have to be anything major.”
“It’s amazing because you’re showing gratitude and at the same time you’re sharing that gratitude with somebody else,” Nichols added.
