How To Travel Without Burning Out

Traveling is taxing.

You have to get to the airport earlier, due to security checks, bag check in, long lines, etc. Parking can be a blast, especially if you’re flying out during busy travel days (think Mondays.) due to security checks, bag check-in, long lines, etc. Parking can be a blast, especially if you’re flying out during busy travel days (think Mondays).

Packing is also a ton of fun because you have to pack to stay away from home for some time, and depending on the time of year, you may encounter dramatic temperature swings on your trip.

With the cost of checked baggage, you don’t want to pack your entire wardrobe, as it could be more cost-efficient to buy clothes when you get to your destination. #SadButTrue

Add sleeping in a different bed, a potential time change, and longer days; you can easily get stressed and burned out before you know it.

I’ve been traveling for work for decades to client sites and conferences. Traveling before and after 9/11 was dramatically different, but as long as you know what to expect and plan accordingly, your travel experience can be as stress-free as possible.

Here’s my secret sauce for traveling as stress-free as possible:

Packing

When you travel, you bring a smaller version of your stuff (ode to George Carlin), so you must get things you usually use daily. So many of us live on auto-pilot, so we must be more knowledgeable about what we use and do daily. We should also incorporate some mindfulness techniques into our lives. #JustSayin

I highly recommend packing cubes to keep items together, and then you can take each cube to the intended destination. I have cubes for my toiletries that I’ll bring to the bathroom, cubes for storing my dirty clothes (so you don’t mix up clean and dirty clothes in your luggage, reducing your laundry work when you get home), and cubes for extra shoes (so you don’t get shoe residue on your clothes.

Travel-sized items such as TSA-approved liquid bottles allow you to bring your favorite shampoos/conditioners/soaps without bringing full-sized bottles. This also helps on short trips, where you get a carry-on bag or small suitcase.

(Pro-Tip): Ensure your carry-on bag is soft and smaller than the TSA limit size. The airlines are making the overhead bins even smaller, so depending on when you can get on the plane, you may need help to have your bag right by you.

Most hotels still have ironing boards and irons, but I recently had to request one because my room didn’t have one. I anticipate that this may become the norm in the future.

Learning how to pack your clothes to minimize wrinkling goes a long way in needing to dust off those ironing skills.

Pack one bonus day of undergarments. Trust me on this one. If you get delayed on your trip back or have some accident, you’ll be thankful you have backup clothes. I also recommend keeping one pair of undergarments, a toothbrush with toothpaste, and deodorant in your carry-on bag because if your flight is delayed to the next day, you may not have access to your luggage.

Mapping Out Your Trip

Plan each day of your trip, especially if you want to visit any local tourist attractions. Figure out which days work best to go to these things (Google Maps often says what days/times are busy for a variety of businesses and attractions, so you can plan accordingly) and how best to get there. It might be the case that you find it will be best to travel with the help of a taxi service offering Puerto Vallarta Airport Transportation and beyond if you are heading to the West coast of Mexico (of course, there will be similar caliber taxi services operating in almost every location worldwide), or you might instead want to take advantage of a city's public transportation system. However you decide to travel, be sure to book in advance (if you opt for a taxi) or buy the relevant tickets for public transportation - the last thing you want is a fine!

Does your hotel have complimentary breakfast? Is it continental or a full-option breakfast menu? If not, is there a restaurant nearby where you are staying? It is essential to know because you don’t want to go to your client or conference hungry (or, in my case, hungry).

Airport Fun

You can get there earlier than you need to. Yes, you’ll spend more time at the airport but won’t be stressed. For fun, look at the faces of people waiting to go through security. You can spot those who are at risk of missing their flights. Don’t be that person.

If you travel (even one trip a year), I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you get TSA-PREcheck. This will save you HOURS of standing in lines, and you can keep your shoes and belts on.

Get your passport(s). I’m a dual citizen, so I carry passports for both countries. I am a citizen because it makes travel more accessible for me. This, in combination with TSA-PRE, makes my travel as stress-free as possible. I often breeze through security in a few minutes and can go to a lounge or grab breakfast/lunch/dinner while waiting for my flight.

Bring a book or your ebook reader. Relax. People watch. You’ll be relaxed while you observe many stressed-out people.

Ride In Style

Once you claim your baggage, you need to get to your destination without stress and worry about car rentals. Using Car services will help you ease into your arrival and get you to your destination stress-free!

Hotel Logistics

Once you get into your room, unpack. I used to keep most things in my luggage, but that's not how most of us live. Put away your clothes, hang up what needs to be hung up, and iron your clothes. I recommend doing that all at once so it’s done and over with.

Could you cool the room? You’ll sleep better at night, which you must do because, as I mentioned earlier, this is a foreign bed, pillows, etc.

If you’re a pillow snob and need your type of pillow, I highly recommend BYOP (Bring Your Pillow.) Most hotel pillows are not as firm as I like, so if you’re concerned about proper sleep, bring your pillow (note that you will need to pack lighter to make room for your head-resting device.)

Food Choices

Eating on the road is a complete pain if you are like me and try to avoid the fast food options at every corner. Going back to your Google Mapping exercise, I recommend researching where you can find restaurants and/or grocery stores that carry food that you can keep refrigerated. Note that most hotels don’t have kitchens for your personal use, so you’ll need to be creative with fruits and veggies.

I use shakes and other nutritional snacks for my breakfasts and lunches, which help keep my energy levels at proper levels throughout my client work and conference workshops. You know that conferences have carb-rich foods, where you crash after lunch, so the afternoon break has coffee and cookies to spike your energy levels.

I skip those because my diet keeps me alert and energized throughout the day. I may sneak in a cookie, though #CisForCookie.

Proper nutrition during your travel allows you to maintain energy levels, which helps reduce any stressors you’ll encounter while away from home.

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Breakfast LeadershipMay 12, 2019Breakfast Leadership NetworkTravel, Burnout Prevention