Like it or not, most leadership roles require work-related travel, sometimes lots of it. While jet-setting to meetings and conferences sounded cool on paper, the reality of planes, trains, and automobiles can make anyone a little loopy. Most leaders have learned a thing or two about which little rituals make work trips go more smoothly and feel less draining.
We asked members of the Fast Company Impact Council what’s the one thing they always do for themselves when they’re on the road for work. Here, 34 of them share their must dos and must haves when hitting the road for business.
1. CONNECT, REFLECT, AND PRAY
When I’m on the road, I make sure I take the time to connect with my children, reflect, and pray. It’s the one thing on the trip I don’t let slide. — Usman Khan, ADP
2. BASEBALL UNDER THE STARS
When I am traveling for work, especially on a multi-day trip, I often sneak out from company activities for one evening and attend a baseball game by myself—minor league or MLB. The space and time of baseball games are so different from our daily schedules which are driven by speed and back-to-back interactions, moving from one closed room to another. Sitting under the stars, often with a great view of the skyline, is a peaceful respite from meetings, airplanes, and hotels. — Troy Thompson, SmithGroup
3. GET TO KNOW THE PLACE
One thing I always do when traveling for work is to get to know the place I’m visiting beyond my meeting schedule. I love learning about the community’s history, exploring the local culture, and imagining what life might have been like if I had grown up there. It keeps me curious, helps me feel connected to the place, and gives me a deeper appreciation for the people, experiences, and stories that make every community unique. — Erica Taylor, Golden 1 Credit Union
4. TAKE ALONG YORKSHIRE TEA BAGS
Ever since I watched Up in the Air with George Clooney, I’ve had a weird relationship with my wheelie carry on. And have attempted not to succumb to the tropes of solo business travel. But as I write this in a Chicago hotel room, I’m really grateful to be sipping a cup of English tea whilst I do it. I never leave home without my Yorkshire Tea bags. — Helen Andrews, Johannes Leonardo
5. MOVEMENT, INCLUDING WALKING MEETINGS
Movement is nonnegotiable for me. It’s part of my routine at home, and I need it even more on the road, when I’m sitting for hours on planes or in meetings. Wherever I land, I find a gym or a fitness class. I’ve gotten hooked on F45 lately, and there is often one where I travel. I also walk whenever I can, and I’m that person who drags her team out for a walking meeting instead of another conference room. — Tyler Perry, Mission North
6. AN UNHURRIED, NO-AGENDA DINNER
When I travel, I make a point of gathering colleagues or partners for a long, unhurried dinner with no agenda—just good food and real conversation. I’ve found that the best relationships aren’t built in conference rooms or on Zoom. They happen when everyone can exhale and be themselves. So, I pick a great local spot, silence the work talk, and let the evening go where it goes. It’s how I unwind, and it always turns out to be the most valuable part of the trip. — Kellie Lauth, MindSpark
7. GO FOR A “RUNSPLORATION”
I run. And when I’m traveling, it becomes something more than fitness. I call them runsplorations—getting out early, no agenda, and letting a new city reveal itself on foot. A neighborhood, a waterfront, a park I never would have found otherwise. Travel compresses everything. Back-to-back meetings, time zones, constant context-switching. A run is the one thing that reliably decompresses it. There’s something about moving through an unfamiliar place that resets your thinking in a way that nothing else does. I always come back sharper. I’ve completed some of the world’s top marathons, including Boston, so movement is important to me. — Meredith Rosenberg, NU Advisory Partners
8. SLEEP AS A PERFORMANCE DECISION
I protect sleep at home and on the road, and I treat it as a performance decision rather than a luxury. I’ve logged almost 500 flights since starting my company, and the trips that go badly are almost always the ones where I traded sleep for one more dinner or one more hour of work. Protecting sleep keeps me fresh, focused, and able to go the distance through a full conference week. Becoming a dad has also helped me master the art of the power nap, which I do masterfully on those early morning flights. — Cody Barbo, Trust & Will
9. PILLOW FROM HOME
I bring my ridiculously large, cervical-spine pillow. I need to be on top of my game and a great night’s sleep is a real asset. — Serenity Carr, Serenity Kids
10. EAT A HEALTHY BREAKFAST
I spent over five years traveling for work, full-time, as a management consultant. The one thing that always set my day off right was a healthy breakfast. You’d be surprised at the difference in your day when you begin with healthy choices and set your mind and body up for success. — Randi Lee, Lucas Advisory
11. JUMP IN SOME WATER
I find some water, jump in it, and cleanse the travel away. Then I rinse and repeat this daily while on the trip to ensure through the jet-lag fog that there is clarity, space, and time to think. It gives me some exercise and time back. — Chris Kay, 72andSunny
12. TAKE A NAP BETWEEN MEETINGS
I don’t usually sleep well in hotels, so I try to take a brief 30- to 45-minute nap at some point between meetings. It helps me recharge and gives me a reason to unplug for a short time. — Ed Mitzen, The Business For Good Foundation
13. COFFEE AT A NICE CAFE, WITHOUT THE LAPTOP
I want to find one of the nicest cafes in the city or town that I’m at for work. No laptop. No phone usage. No technology. I just want to enjoy a nice cup of coffee while I people watch and listen to the sounds of the cafe. — Scot Keith, ONE23WEST
14. TWENTY MINUTES FOR FAMILY, VISION, AND SELF
I always protect 20 minutes of quiet before the day gets going. I use it to check in on three things: my family, my vision, and myself, in that order. It’s not meditation or anything formal. It’s just a little time to get grounded before I walk into the first meeting and become “CEO” for the next 12 hours dealing with details. It is important not to get lost in the weeds despite having to spend most of my time dealing with weeds. — Yuping Huang, Quantum Computing Inc.
15. FIND CONNECTION IN SMALL MOMENTS
Work travel can be a double-edged sword—an opportunity to experience new ways of thinking and doing, while also carrying the stress of what’s missed or left undone at work and home. I’ve learned to use the in-between transitional moments in airports, hotels, and Uber rides not just as downtime, but as opportunities to connect. I listen to the people around me, slow down to notice a shared moment, and maybe even strike up a conversation with a stranger. I’ve learned that staying present like this, and finding connection even in small moments, helps me find my way back to what matters. — Maurice Twomey, Roto
16. SCHEDULE A “RETAIL” DAY
I give myself a full day in the city’s best-known department store and its busiest supermarket. Part of it is professional—we do a lot of retail branding, so it’s benchmarking. But mostly it’s the fastest way to understand a place. A department store shows you what people aspire to. A supermarket shows you how they actually live. Between the two you get lifestyle, emerging trends, and a rough typology of customers that no report will give you. — SOOYOUNG CHO, the bread and butter brand consulting LLC
17. ENJOY A GUILT-FREE SOLO MOMENT
I stack my travel days on purpose. If I’m away from my family, it has to be worth it. But home has its own demands. On the road, I find a guilt-free solo moment—anywhere— meal, a walk, a workout, a coffee. Just me. — Michele Walsh, UNICEF USA
18. VISIT A LOCAL BEAUTY STORE
Whenever I travel, I try to visit a local beauty store or department store and spend a little time exploring. I enjoy seeing how people discover products, what catches their attention, and how beauty trends differ from market to market. It satisfies my curiosity and often gives me fresh ideas to bring home. — Alice Chang, Perfect Corp.
19. PROTECT ROUTINE
Wherever work takes me, I protect my routine. I build movement into every trip, whether it’s testing a Pilates studio, doing yoga, trying new activities, or simply taking a long walk. I also prioritize sleep, plan my meals, and make time for recovery instead of treating travel as a break from healthy habits. After years of traveling as a founder, I’ve learned that when everything around you changes—time zones, meetings, surroundings—keeping a few things predictable helps protect your energy and focus. — Victoria Repa, BetterMe
20. FIVE MILES THROUGH THE CITY OR NATURE
I carve out time for a long walk, usually early in the morning before the day gets going. I’ll map out five or six miles that let me explore the city while seeking out some nature along the way: a park, a trail, a waterfront, anything that puts me in a different environment. It’s become my favorite way to experience a place rather than just moving between hotels and meetings. Just as importantly, it gives me uninterrupted time to think, which is hard to find in the normal rhythm of a trip. — Patrick Frend, Delve
21. TAKE AN AIRPORT LOUNGE MINI-VACATION
I always try to give myself some extra time at the airport to enjoy a lounge if it’s available. It gives business travel the feel of a mini-vacation, even if it’s just for an hour or two. (The new Capital One Landing at LGA is my current favorite!) — Lisa Larson-Kelley, Quantious
22. DON’T ADJUST TIME ZONES
I do two things. No matter where I go in the world, if I’m on the ground for less than 72 hours, I do my best to not adjust to the timezone. Rather, I schedule my meetings around the timezone my body clock is on. And second, I’ve always got running gear with me. No sitting bored in hotel rooms at midnight local time. I’m either working U.S. time remotely or going for a run to explore wherever I’m currently at. I just did a run through a few neighborhoods in Kigali, Rwanda—it was awesome. — Seth Sternberg, Honor
23. MAKE TIME FOR DISCOVERY
I hold onto a favorite line from John Steinbeck: “We do not take a trip; a trip takes us.” Wherever I land, I make space for a bit of self-discovery and try to find what makes that city unrepeatable, unlike anywhere else. That’s how I end up in conversation with a local shopkeeper or tasting something I’d never have ordered on my own. Every time, it stretches how I see the world and how I lead when I get back. — Jean Accius, CHC: Creating Healthier Communities
24. READ THE LOCAL FRONT PAGE FIRST
My road ritual is checking out the local front page. Wherever I land, such as Nashville or Richmond, I read the metro paper and the statehouse newsletter before I touch a national feed. It may sound like homework but it’s how I unwind. The story that moves a market rarely breaks in Washington first. It surfaces on a county commission agenda or a metro business section. Working across nine Southern states, every city I visit is someone’s home market. Reading like a local is the fastest way to respect and reciprocate that. — Howard Franklin, Ohio River South
25. SEE THE CITY ON FOOT
It can be easy to let self-care slip during business travel, especially with a packed schedule. I always try to get outside and go for a walk on the first day, or at least the next morning before meetings. Exploring the city, getting some steps in, and touching grass (even if metaphorically) helps me reset and stay refreshed and focused for the busy day, or days, ahead. — Grace Keith Rodriguez, Caliber Corporate Advisers
26. YOU PICK THE RESTAURANT
I like good food, good drinks, and good conversation. When I’m visiting one of our offices, I want to go out with the people pushing the company forward and get to know them beyond what they do at work. Every office has its own personalities, and every city has its own culture. My favorite way to get to know both is to let someone take the lead: You pick the restaurant. You order for the table. Show me what you love about this place. Those are usually the best nights of the trip. And no matter how late we stay out, I’m running the next morning. That part’s nonnegotiable. — Christian Giordano, Mancini Duffy
27. THE ONE-MINUTE HOTEL-ROOM PLANK
Bring my sneakers to squeeze in a workout. Best case: an outdoor run in a great city. Worst case: a one-minute plank in a hotel room. I tell myself that surely, that must be better than nothing? — Hanneke Faber, Logitech
28. GROUND MYSELF
When I’m on the road for work, the first thing I do is ground myself. I try not to assume I am going to conquer the world or achieve something extraordinary simply because I am in a new place or opportunity. Staying humble is essential: I listen to the people with more experience, learn from their perspective, and then continue building on the work I have already started. — Manuel Freire-Garabal, Gioya Higher Education Institution
29. TIME FOR WORK CATCH UP
I know this is against what a lot of books say, but I always try to find some time for myself to work without the obligations and attention required when at home. Whether it’s an afternoon coffee, or drink in the evening, I often use the time to catch up, review work of others, and indulge in some thinking time that results in ideas I often implement. — Patrick Macdonald-King, Greenlane
30. MORNING GREEN TEA
No matter where I am, I start the day with green tea. It’s a small habit, but it helps me stay grounded amid the pace of travel. Those few moments of calm allow me to reset, focus on what matters most, and bring my best energy and attention to the people I’m meeting with. — Michael Lefenfeld, Hexion
31. ADD A DAY
If I’m traveling internationally, I take an extra day to get over jet lag. I also use a fabulous app called Timeshifter to enable me to get adjusted sooner. — Larraine Segil, Exceptional Women Alliance Foundation
32. BLOCK TIME FOR A PRODUCTIVE RUN
As someone who spends more days on an airplane than not, one thing that keeps me feeling healthy, focused, and in some semblance of a routine is exercise. When I’m on the road, I always try to block some time for a run. And while on a run, I listen to Fareed Zakaria or business books on my Shokz headset at 2X speed. — Glen Tullman, Transcarent
33. SAUNA, COLD PLUNGE, RESET
I go to great lengths to find a local wellness spa for a sauna and a cold plunge. It instantly resets my nervous system after a flight and creates a forced, physical boundary between travel stress and the work ahead. — Logan Mulvey, GoDigital Music
34. DINNER WITH A FRIEND
Wherever possible I always try to meet up with a friend for dinner. I subscribe to the science that social connection is a key driver of my health. Nothing beats a great night out with a friend to fill the soul with goodness (and improved health). — Phillip Haid, Public Inc.
