If you’re traveling long-term, you’ll run into travel problems. Stressful moments are inevitable. Carlson Wagonlit Travel in conjunction with CWT Solutions Group conducted a traveler analysis to determine stress triggers for business travelers. In their research, they identified 33 stress factors for travelers. While not all stress factors apply to long-term travelers, there are some that definitely come to play. Lost or delayed luggage, length of the journey, jetlag, travel sickness, discomfort and anxiety on long flights are common concerns for all travelers but long-term travelers in particular since they are always on the move and have to face these stress factors on a regular basis. In the next few paragraphs, we’ll take a look at the common long-term travel problems and give you some tips on how to solve them.
Lost Or Delayed Luggage
There’s nothing more stressful than arriving in a new destination with your luggage nowhere to be found. This can cause all sorts of problems and, unfortunately, there’s nothing you can do to prevent it. What you can do though is to always keep the most important items you need in your carry on. Don’t keep anything you can’t go without in your checked-in bags. Another thing you can do is to get baggage insurance. In case this unfortunate situation occurs, at least you know you’ll be reimbursed for medication, clothes, and other items.
Discomfort And Anxiety On Long Flights
The length of your journey is out of your control entirely. Nevertheless, there are other things you can do to make your experience a little bit better. Sitting uncomfortably in a cramped sit and dealing with travel anxiety are probably the most common problems during long flights. If you have anxiety, it’s good to be prepared with a list of activities you can do to distract yourself. Some people work during long flights, others like to read, watch movies, and listen to podcasts or a combination of those things.
What about the back pain and muscle tension? Is there anything you can do about that? Actually, yes, there is. Consider taking a small back massager in your luggage with you while traveling. It’s portable and proven to provide immediate relief and relaxation. You can use it in the airport before boarding, during a layover or once you arrived at your destination and you want to get rid of knots and tightness.
Jet Lag
Jetlag is no joke. It affects your sleeping pattern and your eating habits, it can cause headaches and fatigue; it’s a nightmare for sure. However, there are a few things you can do to make jetlag bearable. Before a long-haul flight, it is important to be well-rested. Once you arrive at your destination, try to adjust to the new time zone as quickly as possible by eating at the right time and going to sleep at a reasonable hour. That’s if you plan to spend a bit of time there. If not, stay on your time zone. It takes a day or two to adjust to a new time zone so if you’re spending only a couple of days in the new destination, there is no point in trying to adjust.
Eating Healthy Is A Challenge
On long trips you have to eat out a lot, because is rare that you can have access to a kitchen and enough time to shop for groceries. Even if you do, tracking all the way to the local market or supermarket and navigating a maze of foreign ingredients is an adventure on its own. Even when you try to plan things out, you can still get derailed by all the chaos that comes with travel. So, healthy eating while traveling is no easy feat! One simple thing that you can do to make sure you maintain your wellbeing while on the road is to pack way more healthy snacks than you think you should: dried nuts, protein bars, apples are all good options. Carry a reusable water bottle that you can fill on the road and use to maintain your regular regimen of health supplements and vitamins.
Staying In Shape
If you’re travelling for business, you might be lucky enough to have a gym in your hotel and get to exercise whenever you can. However, if you take big, multi-month trips without a gym on site, you really have to be creative with your workouts to stay strong and fit. Exercise doesn’t have to be only about weight machines and treadmills, when you should be out exploring new surroundings and doing new exciting activities. Anytime you get to a new city look on Google maps or ask for directions to the nearest park. Go for a jog or a walk and if you only have 5 minutes here and there, that should be enough to do a few squats. Sightseeing often takes more than 20,000 steps a day, stairs are a chance to work the glutes, take every chance you get to keep active. That will ensure you find the right balance between your commitment to staying healthy, enjoying some of the local delicacies and staying up late to party with the locals, if there’s a chance.
About the author of this guest post
Carmen Comsa is an entrepreneur and content marketer. In a former life, as a corporate business executive, she relied on yoga, reflexology and other alternative practices to fight stress, anxiety and find balance. At Massageaholic.com she’s on a mission to bring massage therapy closer to those who want to build habits for well-being. You can follow her on Facebook and Pinterest.
