A significant portion of today's frequent business travelers are stressing out over work trips, and some are turning to unhealthy means to combat the unwelcome tension.
On Call International recently surveyed 1,000 road warriors representative of the U.S. population and found that more than one-third (36 percent) feel work-related travel makes them more stressed than usual.
The same percentage say they struggle to sleep on business trips. However, the stress isn't just keeping some travelers awake at night. The study shows that a majority of business travelers, 54 percent, are less likely to exercise away from home while 44 percent are more likely to settle for unhealthy foods.
Sixteen percent of road warriors admit to consuming more alcohol on work trips, and nearly one out of 10 travelers say they are more likely to reach for a cigarette.
"An unhealthy diet and a lack of regular exercise can have adverse consequences on a business traveler's well-being, often leading to, or worsening, serious health problems," said On Call International's chief medical officer, Dr. William Siegart in a statement.
"In addition to this, chronic and acute stress can cause several issues for a business traveler that can lead to deterioration of health and a decrease in work productivity and performance while on the road."
He points out that stress can bring on a handful of unpleasant symptoms and "exacerbate nearly every pre-existing condition."
That's especially troubling considering 13 percent of business travelers have difficulty remembering to take medications during work trips, according to the survey.
Siegart adds that losing out on sleep can compromise travelers' "attention, alertness, concentration and critical decision-making abilities."
It's likely there's a generational divide in how business travelers are taking on and reacting to stress, based on Carlson Wagonlit Travel's (CWT) recent Connected Traveler Study, which reveals significant differences in how millennials approach work trips compared to Gen-Xers and baby boomers.
Notably, younger road warriors are more likely to travel in groups and reach out to family and friends than older generations.
Nonetheless, the biggest key to reducing stress and the unhealthy behaviors that come with it is for business travelers and their employers to first recognize the issue. On Call International's survey found that only 27 percent of travelers who make frequent trips for work actually consider how their health will be affected by a new environment when traveling internationally.
Siegart says organizations can start by "hosting pre-travel health workshops to reinforce healthy travel behaviors such as eating right, finding time for quick, simple exercises that can be executed anywhere and working to identify and manage their most frequent causes of stress."
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