Business Travel is inevitable these days, as companies hire fewer people and give them bigger territories to manage. Bigger territories translate into stress that accompanies your travel like its own baggage; if left unattended, it can lead to some serious health issues. Just because you have to be on the road doesn’t mean it has to be stressful. Here are some effective ways to de-stress on the road.

1. Your itinerary. Make it a point never to fly into a city the same day you have a Meeting or are scheduled to speak at a conference. Too many things can go wrong, and when (not if) they do, you’re setting yourself up for increased anxiety and distraction. Going in the night before allows you to start the day refreshed, prepared, and organized. Feel free to fly home the same day the meeting ends, but don’t schedule your travel so tightly that you’re frazzled by the time you meet your client.

2. Create a strategy for the airport. Scout out an off-site parking facility that takes reservations and provides efficient shuttle service to and from the terminal. Doing so will save you time and energy traversing the parking lots looking for a spot. Next, as if we haven’t said this enough, get TSA PreCheck. Again, time saved is mental energy gained.

3. Look for all the ways you can streamline your experience. Mark Weinstein, senior vice president and global head of customer engagement, loyalty, and partnerships at Hilton, said in an Entrepreneurship.com article, “[I choose] brands whose apps let me choose my own seat on the plane, hotel room, or type of car . . . so I join all the airport trusted traveler programs, and, whenever possible, choose a hotel that allows me to check in on my phone and use it as a room key.”

4. Set a travel budget for each trip, as well as the year. We all know that money changes everything, and aligning your expenses with your budget will help you focus on what you’re there to achieve, not on what’s flying out of your wallet. Create a plan and stick to it, and you can nip that potential worry in the bud by utilizing online price comparison sites to find affordable lodging, car rental, and dining.

5. Finally, schedule personal time during your trip. Setting boundaries — no meetings after dinner or no early-morning meetings or no email checking after a certain time of the evening — will help you feel in control of the process and afford you much-needed time to decompress, debrief, and detach. All those things are good for your health, both mental and physical.

As you travel keep this in mind: Tomorrow is another day, and each day has enough trouble of its own. Give yourself the gift of time — it’ll improve your travel, your meetings, your physical and mental health, and allow you to return home de-stressed and possibly even refreshed.

How do you de-stress during you business travel? Spring for a massage, or relax at a coffee shop after the day ends? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below, on our Facebook page, orin our Twitter stream.

Photo credit: RobertBMueller (Pixabay, Creative Commons 2.0)

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