The Downsides Of Business Travel

Imagine having a job that requires you to constantly travel to destinations that most people can only dream about.

Business travelers get to live the jet-setting lifestyle and get paid for spending time crossing continents, meeting interesting people, and taking in the local culture.

Their photos taken at various locations are the envy of the work world.

Yet, what appears to be a glamorous work life, is fraught with hidden downsides. This is as per a study by Linnaeus University and University of Surrey.

The toll on the body.

Catching a flight to destinations such as New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, London or Beijing is not at all unusual for the average business traveler. They go wherever they must, to attend meetings, conferences, trade shows, or to buy and sell goods and services.

The amount of travel varies, but most people who travel frequently for business experience physical discomfort in the form of jet lag. Long-term jet lag contributes to faster aging, heart attacks and strokes . Frequent air travelers also have higher exposure to germs and radiation.

Some of the physical problems result from a lack of regular exercise and poor eating habits. Hours spent sitting in airports, planes, taxis and hotel rooms combined with stress, and a tendency to eat meals higher in fat and calories, causes higher rates of diabetes, heart problems and other physical ailments.

The toll on mental health.

Business travelers deal with the same work pressures as their landlocked counterparts.

However, when they are away on business, they are prone to stressing out over work that’s piling up.

Meanwhile, they do their best to overcome momentary travel disorientation, a condition brought on by frequent time zone changes.

The toll on relationships.

Back at home, relationships take a hit due to frequent absences, which causes resentments to build – leading to arguments.

The travel also leads to imbalance, since the partner who remains at home needs to take care of all the household responsibilities. Research shows that a majority of business travelers are male and they look for condos which means a full house and not apartments, an example of this are the coal harbour condos for sale which attract most traveler males in the area. Most often, female partners are responsible for ensuring the household runs smoothly while their other half is gone.

Tension between spouses and partners can get so bad that relationships fray or fall apart.

The social toll.

Getting together with friends to hang out and enjoy social activities is challenging for those who travel a lot on business.

What usually happens is friendships get tossed aside in favor of spending as much time as possible with family. That’s understandable, but it’s a shame to miss out on close friendships, because good friends are an important part a person’s social life.

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