If you only take one or two business trips a year and you get to go somewhere fun, travelling for work feels like a perk — like a paid vacation with a couple of meetings along the way.

But if you’re on the road a lot, possibly going to the same place over and over, the novelty wears off and business travel can become a chore — like a 24-hour workday ending in an unfamiliar bed. 

There’s the airport rigmarole, leaving home and family, the disruption to your diet and exercise, and maybe even a time-zone shift resulting in jetlag thrown in for good measure.

With a little planning and a few travel hacks, you can minimise stress and beat business-travel burnout.

De-stress your business trip

Getting away from your regular routine can be a good excuse to establish a new, better routine while travelling. Focus on sleep, diet, and exercise. Get up early and use the hotel gym or swim a few laps in the pool. Better yet, go for a run and get a feel for the city. Being active means you’ll be less likely to snack on whatever’s lying around, so make an effort to eat healthy (and don’t feel obliged to overeat just because the company’s paying).

Plan ahead. Reserve your hotel and transportation as soon as you book your flight. Research the route between your hotel and your meeting locations. Scout out restaurants and other activities that might require a reservation and ask your business contact in the area for recommendations. Write up an itinerary or put everything on your calendar. Pack your bag a day early so you have time to pick up those last-minute travel essentials. Doing all the logistical work ahead of time lets you focus on your work — and, with any luck, a little time to play.

This brings us to the last de-stress tip: schedule some free time. If possible, give yourself a few hours each day to recharge. Go to a park or a museum. Explore the city. Or just do nothing. Adding in some downtime can help you look forward to work travel.

Travel efficiently

Make sure you're prepared to go through security. Having your liquids and laptop ready, as well as nothing in your pockets, means you'll more likely go through quickly.

The two big variables in how long you’ll spend at the airport are baggage claim and the security line. If you can, pack effectively and get everything into a carry-on bag - you'll skip the waiting time at the luggage carousel and breeze right out of the airport. 

Another way to increase travel efficiency is to combine trips. Half the work is getting yourself to the airport in the first place. So, if you’re flying to multiple cities within a short period of time you can cut down your travel-stress overhead by hitting multiple stops in one trip. 

Travel smarter

Make sure your work trips are working for you. When you use a Credit Card like the British Airways American Express® Accelerating Business Card for daily expenses, you can earn On Business points and Avios that you can use towards business travel or even plan a relaxing trip for yourself and your family. Because going through airport security isn’t so bad when your suitcase is full of flip flops and T-shirts. Representative Example: Representative APR: 81.6% APR variable; Credit limit: Assumed credit limit of £1,200; Purchase rate: 22.9% p.a. variable.

Move your business forward with the British Airways American Express Accelerating Business Card. Click here to learn more.