Stress is the epidemic of the 21st century, but the good news is there are many ways to help manage it and I’ve dedicated my life to helping others do just that. Most of us are aware of the major toll that stress can take on mental and physical health and happiness, but did you know that business travelers as a group are especially at risk? The Harvard Business Review reported that over the long-term, common side effects of business travel like added stress, sleep disruption, unhealthy eating and drinking and lack of exercise can add up over time to form chronic disease risks – and employers are ultimately responsible for increased costs related to higher medical claims, and reduced productivity and performance from employees. It’s so important for business travelers to keep their physical, behavioral and mental health on the forefront and choose a travel partner that helps them succeed on the road. As someone who travels often for business myself, I am thrilled to partner with La Quinta by Wyndham, a longtime champion of business travelers, ahead of the busiest business travel day of the year, Wednesday, November 20, when nearly 60% more business travelers are on the road that Wednesday than the average weekday (SAP Concur, 2017).
This busiest business travel day, La Quinta by Wyndham is encouraging its guests to relax and de-stress with its new Take A Paws Project – a program offers stress relieving amenities at select hotels. Alongside its signature services it already offers business travelers – like free Wi-Fi, free breakfast, comfortable bedding, La Quinta by Wyndham’s Manhattan Midtown and Chicago Downtown locations will offer additional perks to help them ease their stress and succeed on the road – including weighted blankets, sound machines, fitness and meditation classes and pet therapy sessions in the lobby – all things known to aid in the reduction of stress.
I’m proud to partner with La Quinta by Wyndham because of the emphasis they place on the health and wellness of their guests, as evidenced by their Take a Paws Project. La Quinta realizes the psychological and physical effects that stress can have on business travelers’ health, productivity, happiness, and success on the road, and have developed standard amenities to support their guests on the road, including free breakfast, a 24/7 coffee and tea bar, signature comfortable bedding, modern fitness centers, free high-speed Wi-Fi, spacious in-room work areas and charging stations, and social gathering spaces in the lobbies.
If you have to be on the road on the busiest business travel day of the year or travel for business often, here are a few tips to survive and thrive, and keep your stress in check:
- Find a reliable travel partner and stick with them. Business travelers need to consider their health and well-being when choosing a travel partner, and I know with La Quinta I’m staying somewhere that understands me and offers what I need to succeed on the road, even if that’s just a homemade chocolate chip cookie, a good night’s sleep and fast Wi-Fi.
- Get some sleep. Sleep is critical for managing stress so making sure your environment is optimal for rest is important – starting with a comfortable bed and bedding. If you have trouble sleeping, a weighted blanket is a great option, and La Quinta is offering complimentary weighted blankets to guests on the busiest business travel day at select locations.
- Exercise, even if it’s just for 20 minutes! Exercising for just 20 minutes a day or meditating for ten minutes can immediately boost your mood and help mitigate the harmful effects of stress on the mind and body, especially while traveling. According to a “La Quinta Means Business” survey (The “La Quinta Means Business” survey was conducted by Wakefield Research between September 16 and September 23, 2019, using an email invitation and an online survey among 1,000 U.S. business travelers ages 35–54, defined as those traveling for business 10-plus times per year), nearly 50% of business travelers work out at the hotel gym to de-stress while on the road and La Quinta has you covered with modern fitness centers in many of its hotels.
If you have to travel during the busy holiday season, remember to Take a Paws and find a travel partner like La Quinta by Wyndham that will help you de-stress.