Complimentary Analysis

Energy

10 Most Often Asked Questions Asked of Me About Road Life

One of my favorite parts of being a business travel performance expert is receiving so many questions whether through surveys, assessment, research projects, emails, or just plain conversation on a flight or at a hotel bar.

Recently, I spoke at a consulting firm and was flooded with GREAT questions from high-performing road warrior consultants who wanted to not get by on the road but get better and leverage the road to do it.

As a result, I’ve chosen ten of the most often asked questions for this article.

10 Most Often Asked Questions Asked of Me About Road Life

This 1st question is by far the most asked question but it’s also the one that gets the most pushback.

1 – How do you eat healthy on the road?

I failed miserably at this for easily the first half of my road career which has been too many years.

I viewed my business trip as a vacation when I ate, not a vocation. My filter was, “oh, that looks good!” I could spend more on an appetizer or dessert or glass of wine than I would on my entire meal with my own money.

The result? Ballooning to over 40 pounds overweight due to business travel. I hated how I looked in that blasted hotel mirror and felt lousy.

Then I came to the point where my perspective on food changed. I wanted energy on the road to be my best and Food is Fuel and Fuel is Energy.

I embraced four letters – MTHC (Make the Healthiest Choice)

And part of MTHC is three parts:
1. Continually Hydrate – I have an Elite Road Warrior water bottle and drink a ton of water ALL DAY LONG
2. Clean and Green – every meal is the cleanest I can eat and I add as many greens as I can
3. Carry a Controlled Substance – I carry a snack bag with Tupperware that has healthy snacks so I’m never caught off guard and always have an energy kick available

I have choices of what I put in my mouth and need to consciously choose how I feel after whatever I’m about to eat.

I favor hotels with full kitchens, shop at Whole Foods and/or Trader Joes whenever possible, and request eating someplace “Clean and Green” when going out with others.

I recently even did hard-core Keto30 on the road which you can listen to on episode 25 of the podcast.

Key phrase: MTHC (Make the Healthiest Choice)

2 – How do you workout on the road?

Time is your biggest enemy on the road.

I believed the lie “if I can’t get in a full workout, what’s the point?” – Lies, nothing but lies!

I had to change my mindset to “Something, Anything is Better Than Nothing.”

Sometimes my 20-minute workout is better than an hour.

Sometimes, going 10 minutes hard in my hotel room with bodyweight and resistance bands is more than enough.

“But I’m too tired to workout” – lies, nothing but lies.

Movement creates energy.

How many times have you worked out in the morning after dragging yourself out of bed and by the end of the workout, you were ready to conquer your day?! That’s me – every… single… time.

I learned the Increase M4X Formula
1. Stand More – think up on your feet, not down on your butt
2. Walk More – think forward, not still
3. Run More – think cardio, get your heart rate up
4. Lift More – think strength training

How I…

  • Stand More – stand at the gate / every 30 min on a flight / in meetings whenever possible / create stand up desks at the hotel (lobby or room)
  • Walk More – park at the back of a parking lot / choose a higher floor at the hotel / take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator or walk the escalator
  • Run More – do HIIT that gets my heart rate up – jog to run / burpees / stairs quickly
  • Lift More – bodyweight / dumbbells / resistance bands

Key phrase: Something, Anything is Better Than Nothing

3 – How do you get a better night of sleep on the road?

Ah, sleep, the ultimate waste of time on the road, right? How can you get anything done if you’re in a coma?

I used to view sleep as a “necessary evil”

I had to learn to make the sleep I was getting, which was 6 hours or less, better before I started to add any more sleep because it wouldn’t be quality sleep.

1. Prioritize Bed Time
2. Create a Bed Time Ritual
3. Create an Ideal Sleep Environment

For me…

Bed Time Priority always depended on the type of my trip – was I by myself or with others? Was I doing training, speaking, and workshops, or at a conference or trade show? Once I knew, then I could realistically prioritize bedtime. That may mean leaving the event or bar earlier but nobody really cared the next morning. Regardless, getting to bed with the foresight of what time I needed to get up was a priority.

My Bed Time Ritual:

  • Drop the Lights
  • Drop the Temperature
  • Change the Room Scent
  • Comfy Clothes – under armor shorts / Hurley soft t-shirt or Dep Sleepwear
  • Read
  • Guided Meditation

Ideal Sleep Environment:

  • Cool
  • Dark and I mean dark – towel over door crack/clip to keep the curtains shut
  • Bose Sleep Buds

Key Phrase –“Improve Before Increase”

 

4 – What is your morning routine?

It has definitely evolved over time. In fact, I have an entire podcast episode on the First Hour of Your Road Day called the Energy Hour

My routine used to be checking social media, sports scores, texts, and emails while still in bed!

Once I opened up any of those, they owned my day and I rarely turned it around.

So, I needed to make sure I took care of ME first before everyone else’s agenda.

And what took care of me?

Four of the six energy habits:

1. Develop
2. Move
3. Connect
4. Fuel – continually hydrate

My exact morning routine:

  • Hydrate – my drink
  • Develop – read my Bible / read something inspirational / pray and meditate
  • Move – workout
  • Connect with the Fam – I want them to hear from me first thing in the morning and I’ll talk about how in Q5

Key Phrase – “Hit the Four Before the Door”

5 – How do you stay connected with those you love back home?

This was an area where I was what you call, a Check-In Guy for WAY too long.

I just “checked in” when it was convenient for me with no regard to what was going on back home in the life of my wife and kids. It was selfish to be honest as I look back on it.

Staying connected, especially if you’ve been traveling for any length of time, can, well, get old and stale. And for me, I wasn’t checking in enough and it really affected my family and friends back home.

Eventually, I leveraged my creative side to “spice things up” to re-connect with everyone to become a Connect-In Guy.

It’s done in three ways:

  • Connect Intentionally
  • Connect Thoughtfully
  • Connect Creatively – be memorable

How I Connect Now:

Key Phrase -“Be a Connect-In Guy or Girl, not a Check-in Guy or Girl”

The next five questions are more vulnerable.

I’ve not arrived as you’ll hear in the following answers. But I truly desire to transform my work, health, and home life on the road to master the business travel life.

 

6 – What took you the longest to change and why?

Learning how to rest and pace myself on the road. I’ve always been a hard-driver, Type-A, energy guy.

If you’ve not heard my back story, which you can listen to on the podcast in episode 002, I went so hard for so long, my body shut down to the point of complete exhaustion and I became very, very sick. It took months and months to recover and I had to learn to change my ways if I was going back to Road Life.

I had to prioritize three areas:

  • Sleep – improve then increase
  • Breaks – move the body, rest the mind
  • Downtime – time to be, not to be on

There was time for breaks and downtime – I just needed to take them and make them a priority – the payoff was beyond worth it.

I also had to learn to ask:

  • When is my energy the highest each day on the road?
  • Why is my energy low right now?
  • Is there anything I can do to change my energy level?
  • Can I match my energy with my tasks?

I had to become what I call an Energyologist (a Buckleyism) – the personal study of your own energy

Key Takeaway – You can have more energy on the road

 

7 – What do you regret the most on the road?

The answer is found in Energy Habit Six – Connect.

I regret not making my family a bigger priority especially when I first started traveling. I created some very bad habits in three areas:

  • How I left – abrupt and not sensitive especially to my kids’ feelings
  • When I was gone – When and how I contacted anyone back home revolved only around me and my schedule
  • How I returned – I was always exhausted when I came home and it was always about me. I demanded the house be in perfect condition and life revolved around me. I wanted to be left alone to “transition back into civilian life” yet I was angry when everyone went on with their lives.

My family hung in there but I had done some damage that took years to repair and I regret it. Thankfully I was able to turn it around and it’s become one of my strengths.

Learn from my costly mistakes.

Key Takeaway – Prioritize Others Just as Much

 

8 – What do I still struggle with on the road?

Drinking too often and too much.

I don’t get drunk on the road or take it too far. I learned very early in my career to never “be that guy” but only see or hear about “that guy”.

I love good wine and craft beer but have learned to minimize it big time especially doing Keto on the road.

I’m a Vodka Tonic guy and too easily justify a drink or three (always a double) after a long day, customer dinner, or event.

Doing Keto30 of absolutely no drinking was a very good thing for me along with not drinking on any weeknights when I’m home.

This is a struggle and growth area for me.

My biggest change has been adding one glass of water with every alcoholic drink. I call it the 1:1 Water Match Program – and it’s absolutely free to join

Key Takeaway – Make Sure You’re In Control

 

9 – How do you handle it when you blow it on the road?

I’ve adopted the James Clear concept called “Avoid the 2nd Mistake” – If I have a bad meal, I don’t justify the day or even the rest of the business trip.

If I don’t work out the 1st day, it’s not a free pass for the rest of the trip.

If you watch baseball, the best closers have the essence of short-term memory. If they blow last night’s game, they need to come back out the next night like it never happened and “begin again.”

Depending on what “blowing it” was for me, in the early days there was some regret and guilt. I had a couple of close friends I could tell “the real story” for some confession and accountability. I wanted to monitor the heart.

Another phrase I use that is helpful to me is “Dip NOT Dive” – when I go “off-road” as I call it from the 6 Energy Habits, I need this to be a quick dip and get right back to what allows me to master the business travel life and avoid the downward spiral and the 2nd mistake.

Learn from it and move on.

Key Takeaway – Avoid the 2nd Mistake

 

10- What advice would you give for a newer business traveler?

  • Learn and apply the Six Energy Habits immediately in your Road Career.
  • If you have bad habits at home, road life will only expose them.
  • Don’t worry about “what everyone else does or says”, you take care of yourself first and foremost.

Learn from my mistakes and others. You don’t have to do it the hard way with a brutal crashing and burning, 40 pounds overweight, burned out, stressed out, and disconnected from family and friends.

Key Takeaway – Own the Six Energy Habits right now!

 

I hope these questions and answers were helpful. They’ve been asked by a number of people, so here it was:
* The good
* The bad
* The ugly

I hope you gained some ideas and appreciated my honesty with the goal of helping you become an Elite Road Warrior.

If you want any more detail or further examples, you can find them in my book, ERW – 6EH to Master the Business Travel Life. It’s available on Amazon in the print version, Kindle digital version, and also on audiobook via Audible.

So, wherever you are on the road, do something, anything, just not nothing to master the business travel life. You Got This!

Why You Need a Sleep Kit on the Road and What Should Go In It

Many business travelers say they don’t sleep very well or very long on the road.

Let me give you my previous view of sleep on the road.

Any given business travel evening, I may be attending or speaking at an event, out to dinner with clients or having dinner with my laptop lover.

You got that, right? You know the business traveler having dinner with their laptop (hence laptop lover) then taking that lover up to your room for a nightcap. Drink in hand, and not water, to crank out the work.

There’s no other way on the road, right?

For me, it looked like having the stadium lights on in the room, TV on, iPad on, phone on, and of course my computer to “crank out the work” after an already long day of work on the road.

Then, after midnight, ending the affair with my laptop lover (at least for tonight) I watch mindless TV, and even though I would pass out physically in my bed, my mind was still running a million miles an hour.

Eventually, I would fall asleep only to wake up a couple of hours later to go to the bathroom and enjoying a parched mouth that felt like cotton balls multiplied in my mouth due to too much alcohol and not enough water.

Ever had THAT happen?

My mind would begin to race of all the things I still had to do and slowly I would fall back asleep only to wake up a couple of hours later sharp as a… bowling ball.

Wash Rinse Repeat – day 2, 3, and 4 of my business trip.

I pushed back when people told me I needed MORE sleep. Huh? I sucked at the sleep I did get, what would MORE bad sleep do for me?

And like I had MORE time for sleep. Oh, the naiveté of Road Life.

Sadly, this is the headline story for too many road warriors on any given business travel night.

Some just believe they’ll never sleep good on the road so why even try.

But here’s the misconception:  Adding sleep is the only way

Lies Nothing But Lies!!

Here’s the Road Reality: Improve Before You Increase

Improve your sleep before you increase your sleep. Improve that 5 or 6 hours you are getting every night then we’ll address adding any sleep.

If what you get doesn’t improve first, adding more bad sleep is not going to be the answer.

I’m the poster child visual of THAT subject and have had years to perfect it.

Here’s the Point:

Think Quality of Sleep then Quantity of Sleep. Improve Before You Increase.

Got it? Improve what? The quality of sleep you’re getting right now in a hotel room.

Then and only then…

Increase what? The quantity of sleep.

So, why do you need a sleep kit on the road?

Well, if the answer isn’t obvious, let me put those DoubleTree cookies on the bottom shelf and say it:

There’s a GREAT chance what sleep you get on the road isn’t good or to use our word, quality, and before we plan on adding any additional sleep (INCREASE), we need to IMPROVE the sleep you are getting.

So, now that we have that as a baseline, how do you begin to improve the sleep you’re getting?

  1. Create a Road Warrior Sleep Kit.

I know you can giggle, I did and pushed back for a long time.

But between us girls? For the longest time, my sleep kit was a secret sauce – alcohol.

But wait, Mr. Elite Road Warrior guy? Alcohol makes me sleepy and how I justify drinking before bed. How do you respond to that!

Now, although alcohol may make you sleep and help you fall asleep QUICKER, the goal isn’t quick, it’s QUALITY. Remember, improve before increase.

I would sleep quicker with my secret sauce but even if I didn’t have too much to drink, I didn’t wake up rested. I woke up more – to go to the bathroom, or because my mouth was dry, etc. and I felt groggy, not sharp in the morning.

Not the end goal, road warrior.

After a while, I heard of CEOs, musicians, athletes, and other high performers using certain elements that improved the quality of their sleep.

I studied what they did to improve the quality of their sleep. I interviewed sleep experts like Terry Cralle now on the Elite Road Warrior Group Team and then began putting these elements into a “some assembly required” sleep kit for me to take on the road. Literally.

Let’s break this Sleep Kit down.

The first question always asked of me is what do you put the sleep elements in?

You could just randomly put them into your carry-on but I’m one of those organized… okay OCD business travelers who “has a place” for everything so I wanted an organized system. Hence…

The Case

It’s up to you but my criteria was as follows:

  • Portable – “To go”
  • Slim – Doesn’t take up much room in my carry-on
  • See-Through – Able to see what was in there for easy access

That’s it – nothing magical or high tech, just functional for the road.

You may find your own criteria but you’re welcome to start with mine.

So, what actually goes IN the Sleep Kit?

The Elements

Now, mine came from trial and error and some came from simply trying to solve a problem. For example, the 1st three elements in my sleep kit…

1. Clips

Once I started having the room as dark as possible and not allowing any light in to IMPROVE the QUALITY of my sleep, I started making some “solve the problem” additions to my kit.

This sounds so remedial but one of my biggest pet peeves is light coming through the seams of the curtains.

And all too often my room faces the parking lot with the stadium lights coming through my room.

Having clips that can hold the curtains shut is huge for me. I carry three to make sure those curtains are locked down.

I bought mine from an office supply store and are larger clips.

2. Electrical Tape

Back to my “solve a problem” rant, once the curtains were closed, now it was the little lights all over the room that are hardly noticable in the light. But when it is dark? They look like laser lights. Not cool man.

Hence the electrical tape. I tried putting a towel over these lights but the light would still shine through or the towel would fall. I’ll use a tiny little strip of electrical tape on the tv light, microwave, smoke detector, etc.

I also unplug the alarm clock then use duct tape for the large crack of the room door. Just kidding

Yeah, although a lot of fun, not the best use of time and electrical tape. I’ll use a large bathroom towel to cover the light from the door seam.

3. Cotton Balls

Not the ones in your mouth from too much drinking but for the vents.

Changing the scent in your room to be both familiar but also prepare you for sleep is key.

You’re wanting routine and this will help.

I change the day scent (which for me is Eucalyptus) to Lavender for the evening.

I also have the AC system on the ON selection, not AUTO so it’s constantly running to minimize noise and keep the scent flowing.

4. Essential Oils

This is part two of the cotton balls.

I keep a few cotton balls in my Sleep Kit, put a few drops of essential oils, and that’s it. Simple and effective. This is for the consistent, enjoyable scent for the room.

Now, for bedtime, I personally put the essential oils of Lavender and Serenity (from DoTerra) and mix them with fractionated coconut oil that goes in a small rollerball and then rub it on the bottom of my feet which is the place that absorbs the quickest into my body) to calm my system.

I was a skeptic of essential oils and now use them in so many ways:

  • Change the scent in the room
  • Help me sleep
  • Put lemon oil drops in my morning water
  • Massage sore muscles
  • Better breath

5. Blue-Blocker Glasses

Not only do they look cool, but they’re also critically important because we’re almost always on a screen that emits blue light most if not all of the evening.

The reality is we’re going to have devices on in the evening which means that blue light is going to affect the quality of our sleep and that’s what we’re talking about here first: IMPROVE then INCREASE.

I bought some cheap ones to try them out and now invested into the top of the line, Swanwick blue-blocker glasses because I used them so much. I got mine from the Sleep Score Lab.

6. Eye Mask

I’m still not a fan of the eye mask because I feel strange wearing it, but they work and when I need to have it, I’d rather have it available.

I find that it’s most handy for me if I have a very very late flight and want to try and sleep in – I want it in grabbing distance if I wake up and see the light streaming in. My two teenage sons react to morning light like vampires in training but scared of blood. Go figure.

It’s one of those again where I bought a cheap one off Amazon to try it out then upgraded to a Swanwick one from Sleep Score Lab since it proved worthy of my Sleep Kit.

And lastly, the big-ticket item…

7. Bose Sleep Buds

These surprised me. I’m a big fan of the BOSE noise-canceling headphones but why would Bose invest in the sleep industry? You can find them here.

Because a quality night of sleep on the road is big business.

I can do all I can do to control the light but when that blasted hotel door slams shut, the elevator or ice machine is used, or your clueless neighbor next door has his TV on at 4 am before his flight, on a late conference call, or a family of kids with a toddler sporting his lungs, these are an absolute lifesaver.

This is how they work:

  • They’re small and fit so comfortably in your ear. You have a ton of soothing, noise-canceling sounds you can choose from that are downloaded actually onto the ear bud.
  • The sound is not a loop but continual.
  • You can set an alarm which I absolutely love because then I don’t have to rely on the alarm clock, power going out, or the front desk missing the wake-up call or getting it wrong.

I also love them because I’m in control and sleep is my biggest performance enhancer on the road.

To me, worth the investment.

After reading these suggestions, I hope you realize the importance of QUALITY in your sleep. Try these tips and products for your sleep kit, and have the best sleep of your life! (Ok maybe not the best, but that’s what we’re working towards!)

Why You Must Carry a Lunch Box to Work on the Road

Elite Road Warrior Group Research shows that this one simple bad habit takes down many road warriors. You find them everywhere. In the airport, flight, gas station, board room, the bar, and on and on.
What is it?
Snacks.

Now, Russ loves snacks. The problem is, he eats them on the road at the worst times, not to mention he eats the wrong things.  It starts with plane snacks (and I don’t mean plain), whether at the airport or on the actual plane.

Then there are snacks offered during a meeting or a conference.

And how do you resist “snacky” things at the bar? (You know, the ones that have had who knows how many drunk hands touching them?)

Russ wonders why he feels like he never really eats a full meal yet he is overweight.  C’mon Russ, seriously?

Why You Must Carry a Lunch Box to Work on the Road

One of the smallest yet most effective energy habit changes I made on the road was learning to carry a controlled substance. I know, most of the time that’s illegal, but as most things, there’s a way around it.

In this case, it’s carrying the correct controlled substance: a healthy and sustainable snack.

The power behind the concept is two parts and in the name.

1. Carrying – You bring it with you/carry it along with you. I can already hear the whining (and I don’t mean vino):

  • I’m trying to pack light.
  • I already have too much to carry.
  • What if it needs to be refrigerated?
  • I have small hands and it will bring attention to them (okay, I may have pushed it on that one).

These are all easy issues to overcome, and we’ll address them later, but for now, you need to carry – packing some heat, my friend.

2. Controlled – This is the opposite of Russ because it is not reactionary but controlled.

  • You bring it – You literally bring food with you from home (it’s possible and we’ll talk about what and how).
  • You buy it – This requires a little more effort on the road, but you literally find a healthy store to buy controlled substances for you to have on hand to eat on the road.

Carrying a Controlled Substance is YOUR Lunch Box you must carry with you on the road.

The point of this article is minimizing and ultimately eliminating being caught off guard. When I don’t Carry and Control my supplemental nutrition, I get reactive and lazy.

Not a good combination on the road.

You may be asking, “But what do you put your food, your controlled substance, in while traveling?
Well, it’s not an old school or a “carrying booze” paper bag, but a well-thought-out item.

And full disclosure, I tried one of those old school metal lunch boxes but I couldn’t fit everything I wanted in it. Just goofin – although, that would be cool and a great conversation starter in an airport.

The one I finally landed on I found on Amazon (imagine that) it’s called the OPUX Premium Insulated Lunch Box

This OPUX lunch box has:

  • Black Fabric with two zippers
  • 10 x 8 x 5.5in
  • Two handles – one on top and one on the side. The side handle has a clip to attach it to anything you want
  • Optional strap if you so desire to use it
  • Insulated inside as well as an insulated pouch
  • 10 Different color choices

What I love about the one handle is I can attach it to my carry-on handle. I put it on top of my computer bag so it’s easy to get around and not “one more thing” to carry.

 

THREE WAYS YOU CAN CARRY A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE

1. YOUR FIRST MEAL

So many road warriors become victims right out of the gate (literally and figuratively). They leave the house and decide to get a quick breakfast at the airport. I meet a certain guy often on the plane and have even given him a nickname: Egg McMuffin Man.

Let me tell you his story…

He sits down (we’ll call him Ed McMuffin), opens up his McDonald’s bag, and pulls out his two Egg McMuffins, hash brown, and his extra-large Diet Coke. (Pause) Of course.
As he’s scarfing down his food like someone is going to try and steal it or something, he looks over at me.
Let me set the full picture: I’m eating a controlled substance. I brought my own breakfast called the Anchor Day Casserole through security and even on to the plane (I know, crazy, right?!). I feel stoked to have my clean and green meal, and in this case, it is the first meal of the day on the first day of my business trip.

Egg McMuffin Man looks at me, looks at my controlled substance, looks down at his food, then the justifications begin.

Ed: “Yeah, I was in a hurry this morning.”
Me: “Really?” (With just a touch of sarcasm leading him to tell me more…)
Ed: “Had to grab something quick.”
Me: “Hmmm.” (Long pause for dramatic effect.) “In that long McDonald’s line?”
Ed: “Yeah, it took like 20 minutes.”
Me: “Bummer,” (then with a sense of pride and joy,) “this took me two minutes to warm up and 30 seconds to put in this Tupperware to take it to go.”
Ed: (Quickly responds) “I used to be THAT guy. Now I’m THIS guy.”
Me: “Why don’t you get back to being THAT guy again?”
Ed: (Starts talking again as ketchup drips on his dress shirt)

and the excuses begin all over again…Give it a rest, Ed. Make a healthier choice.

I want to do everything I can to make sure the very first meal of my trip or the very first meal of any day on the road is clean and green, and I’ll go to great lengths to make that happen.
You have control. Step up and take it.
This principle can also apply for your last meal, and I don’t mean “dead man walking” on Death Row.

I’m talking about before your flight home.
Often, I’ll purchase a healthy meal and take it to-go so I can eat at the airport or on the plane so I’m not left with minimal options and maximum justifications.
This can be done and carrying a controlled substance in your Work Lunch Box makes it possible.

2. YOUR GREENS

The road offers “greens” and I don’t mean cold hard cash, but they’re often hard to come by on the road.
I mean nutritional greens that you intentionally add to your daily nutrition. Well, it is difficult if you leave it to chance.

Do you get a sense I don’t leave this to chance anymore? Nor should you! You need to have a plan for making sure you’re getting proper fuel in your system on a consistent basis, and this begins with your greens.

HERE ARE THREE QUICK WAYS TO KEEP THE GREENS COMING DURING YOUR DAY:

  • ASK

There are certain hotels that will have greens with their breakfast. If you are at a hotel that has a breakfast buffet and an omelet bar, they most likely have spinach. I’ll request a large side of sautéed spinach, which is a perfect way to add greens to your breakfast.  At every restaurant, I ask for more greens than what’s on the menu, but here’s the difference: I ask for one now and one to go. I want to have them later, even if later never comes (but somehow it always does).

  • BRING

This is my master evil plan all the time. I make sure I have at least enough greens for my 1st day of travel and not leave it to chance.

Again, in a pinch (literally), you could use a high-quality greens powder to keep all your options open.

  • BUY

Begin to get in the habit of stopping somewhere to stock up on your snacks, especially your greens, so you can have them when (not if) you need them. I’ll buy a bag of spinach, kale, or spring mix to have and can keep in the hotel fridge. It’s only a few dollars and worth having on hand.

Now, the 3rd way to carry a controlled substance in your Work Lunch Box is…

3. YOUR GO-TO SNACK

All of us tend to have a snack we prefer. We eat it by default and we choose it regularly.
On the road, we need to make the healthiest choice and choose a healthy go-to snack.
Mine is mixed nuts (peanuts and fillers sold separately and for the record, I used to work for peanuts, so I don’t need to eat them!). It’s one of two fuel foods I purchase every time on the road (the other being mixed greens). Here are my choices of mixed nuts confirmed by the research of Dr. Axe

  • Almonds
  • Walnuts
  • Brazilian Nuts
  • Cashews
  • Pistachios

Nuts are rich in fiber and smart fats. Since your brain is approximately 60 percent fat, you need good fat in your diet to nourish it, and nuts are one of the most brain-nourishing choices you can make.

I’m a huge fan of mixed nuts because of their big punch of nutritional value and how easy they are to take on the go.  Not all nuts are created equal. While there are plenty of nuts jam-packed with nutrients, some types of processing may diminish the health benefits of nuts.
Pre-shelled nuts, for instance, leave the natural casings of the nut exposed, causing the natural fats and oils to break down and become rancid more easily. Pre-seasoned or flavored nuts can also be high in added sugar or salt, reducing their health properties. Even nuts that are roasted can be unhealthy because they are roasted in harmful hydrogenated vegetable oils and fats.

You don’t have to choose my go-to snack (although I highly recommend choosing at least a couple of mixed nuts that you like).

Here’s the Key: Find something low in sugar and high in protein every chance you can.

PRO TIP: Stop at a grocery store (healthier the better like Whole Foods or TJ). But I hear often, “I don’t have the time!” You’re right, you never “have time” you must “make the time.”

If you plan for it, it’s amazing how quickly you can get in and get out. But again, this is a pro trip, not an excuse tip.

Lastly, what do I actually put the food in and how do I eat it?

Key Items to Maximize the Lunch Box

1. Spork – but wait, there’s more. The one I use has a knife option as well. I know, right?
I used to bring crappy plastic wear from home or picked them up at the airport but often forgot them or they were just so flimsy. I invested a few dollars and bought a camping style spork with a knife – 12 Pack Sporks, Durable & BPA Free Tritan Sporks, Spoon Fork & Knife Combo Utensils

I carry two with me at all times and put them in the inside pocket of the Work Lunch Box

2. Tupperware – I geeked out on this one after thinking any kind would do.
But I wanted to maximize my space in my lunch box and I also wanted the Tupperware to stay sealed.
So, I use one that is: “8.5 x 2.5 x 6
Then two that are: “6 x 2.5 x 4
So it maximizes space and can stack right on top of each other
Ironically, I found mine at Pavilions in Southern California. Go Figure. I haven’t been able to find the exact ones on Amazon just yet.
I did find something close here

You just have to experiment with whatever you chose as your Work Lunch Box.

3. Pink Sea Salt / Pepper Grinders – I’m a big fan of pink Himalayan sea salt due to the incredible trace minerals found in it and it’s the healthiest salt you can eat. I also like ground pepper so I have two small grinders that easily fit in my Work Lunch Box. I found mine at Trader Joe’s.

4. Individualized Wet Wipes – Why? Have you seen me eat? Just kidding.
But I want to stay as healthy as I can on the road and one of the most germ-infested locations is a plane and specifically the seat tray.
How many times have you seen someone sick rest their head on the seat tray and hack all over it.
And I’m going to put my Work Lunch Box and healthy meal on THAT? Not a chance.
So, I have these individualized wet wipes to wipe down the tray AND seat
I have them on the road in a pinch.
I bought off Amazon: Wet Ones Antibacterial Hand and Face Wipes Singles, 24-Count (Pack of 5)

Note: I also carry tea bags in my Lunch Box (I’m not a coffee guy but a tea freak, okay snob) and both the Individualized Wet Wipes and tea bags easily fit in the front zipped pocket.

Packing your own healthy food may be a new concept for you. So, your baby step to carrying a controlled substance may simply be to bring your first meal or bring some healthy snacks at home. Or it may be to get the suggested lunch box.

Do something, anything, just not nothing to master the business travel life.
Go and get your Fuel Edge on today!

This article is brought to you by the Sleep Score Labs where you can find all types of sleep resources such as blue-blocker glasses and eye masks that I endorse and actually carry in my Road Warrior sleep kit.

Six Ways to Take an Energy-Giving Break on the Road

Terra is a hard driver. She’s up early and at it late. She never takes breaks and actually prides herself because of it.

During every possible break given in a meeting or conference, she’s working. Her brain is always engaged, and her legs are never moving while she’s sitting in those conferences.

Her philosophy is “who has time for a break?!” and she actually looks down on those who do. She would never say they are lazy but she does question their work ethic. Is Terra right? After all, you’re on the road to work and crank out as much work as possible.

Or is there a reason to take a break?
This is a major pushback for road warriors: the topic of a break. Terra is not alone in this area. But Terra, give it a break already!

I know what you’re thinking: “I barely have time to go to the bathroom let alone pause for lunch. How could I ever have time for a break?” Well, you never “have time.” You “make time” for things that are important. Believe it or not, breaks are important and they matter.

Four Natural Pushbacks To Taking A Break

1. I don’t have time to take a break.

I’m behind before I even start my day and will only fall further behind if I stop and take a break.
I will literally lose more time if I stop. I have TOO much to do and NOT enough time to do it. How could I even consider stopping for a break?

2. I feel fine, why take a break?

Those of us who are locked in and get “in the zone” can easily push back on this one. This is especially true for those of us who love what we do.

3. I forget to even take a break.

If it’s not something we do regularly, especially when traveling, it’s easier to just do a drive-by and miss a break, even if we want or need to take one.

4. My travel schedule does not allow me to take a break.

This used to be me. I never took a break on the road, and the main reason was I never scheduled it. When I started padding my schedule by just 15 – 30 minutes once or twice a day, the results were outstanding.
The problem is, most road warriors rarely take a break, and IF they do, they do it wrong. How do you screw up a break? Let’s start with what a break is first.

I define a break as: MOVE THE BODY/REST THE MIND.

If people choose to take a break at all, they do the opposite – they rest the body and move the mind.
They stay seated and move from one screen to another (computer to phone for social media or personal email). Aka: they screw it up. They’re not moving because they remain seated and their mind is not resting; it is engaged in something else.

They miss an opportunity to leverage the energy that a break can give you IF it’s done correctly.
A true break is designed to move the body – stand/stretch/walk – MOVE! Resting the mind means stop concentrating and let it roam free. Breaks mean running the car, but on idle.

I agree with what The Huffington Post says on breaks: “It is difficult to see things from a new perspective or find new insights when we come at it the same way all the time. Taking a step away — literally or figuratively — might be just what we need to recharge.”

A break is productive only when you disconnect from the work you are doing and indulge in any other activity that takes your mind off the task at hand. The reality is, we have to see the benefit of a break if we’re going to gain anything out of a break.

Benefits of a Break

1. Your mind gets to rest

I don’t know about most people, but the moment I begin my day, my mind is going, and I don’t want to admit it, but it doesn’t stay sharp all day. The reality is my mind begins to fade, especially being around people on the road all day unless I do something about it. That’s exactly why taking a break to give your mind a rest is so vitally important.

It’s good to push your mind, but if your goal is to stay sharp and productive, we need to consider a mental break. We can only focus for so long before quality begins to decrease. If we’re honest, we’ll admit this truth. Resting the mind is exactly what is needed to become more effective and to increase productivity.
What does resting the mind look like? Well, it doesn’t look like moving from one computer tab to another, from CRM to Twitter, from computer to phone. It means allowing your mind time to roam and not concentrate so it is free to engage in something else without intense focus.

2. Your body gets to move.

One of our biggest unknown challenges is being sedentary. Most of us sit almost the entire day, especially when we travel. We’re in a rental car or rideshare, then to the conference room to dinner and then we crash on the bed.

We are not designed to sit around all day, and it’s definitely not helpful for your creativity or productivity. Getting up for a few minutes gets our blood flowing and oxygen to the brain.

We NEED to get our blood flowing and oxygen to the brain to be at our best. Often times, since you’re naturally sitting most of the day, you just have to take the initiative. How many times have you been in a situation where someone said, “Can we take a quick break? I need to… (Get coffee, go to the bathroom, make a quick call or return some messages)”?

This is the timeout in sports you’ve been looking for but use it wisely. Often, people just sit there and completely waste the break. They stay seated on their can and check social media or talk about absolutely nothing.

Not you, road warrior. Exit stage left and go for a walk. Change locations. Move the body and rest the mind. Leave the building if you can. At least, walk around within the building. Often, I take a few stairs and at least step outside. In this way, I’ve moved and taken in some fresh air and scenery.

3. You come back more focused.

This is where taking a break actually increases your productivity. We don’t want to just do our work; we want to do our best work, and that’s what happens when we’re focused and creative. When blood is flowing through my body and oxygen is getting to my brain, both have had the break they need to come back more focused.

It’s amazing how people can screw up a break and are worse off after a break. Not you, road warrior. You’ll come back sharp and ready to knock out the rest of the time.

So, we’ve given excuses of why we can’t or don’t take a break. And we learned the benefits of taking a break. Now, let’s get very practical on how to actually take a break while on a business trip.

Here are Six Ways to Take an Energy-Giving Break on the Road

According to the book Rest, a true break from work – the kind that allows what sociologists call detachment, the ability to put work completely out of your mind and attend to other things – turns out to be tremendously important as a source of mental and physical recovery from work.

I realize breaks may be a change of mindset for you, but if you begin to simply change how you view a break, whether given or self-imposed, you will experience the benefits of moving your body and resting your mind as you get the full benefits of a break. Take a short walk and change your environment for a few moments to catch your breath with the goal of coming back refreshed and ready for another round.

Some break ideas are:

  1. Breath Break
  2. Stand Break
  3. Stretch Break
  4. Bathroom Break
  5. Snack Break
  6. Walk Break

These may seem obvious, but so often, we’re simply not doing them.
We’ll choose six excuses. Think creatively about how you could add them to your travel day. If you think you don’t have ANY time for a break, consider the following with examples of how to use the six different types of breaks.

Your goal: Be an overachiever and combine break types.

Three types of breaks on the road:

1. MICRO – Think Seconds/Small Length
We may not have time for anything longer at the moment or we just need a quick energy boost, and that’s exactly why we should take micro-breaks throughout the day.
Here’s a stat for you: a 30-second micro-break can increase your productivity up to 13% and a 15-second break from staring at your computer screen every ten minutes can reduce your fatigue by 50%.

Here are three different types of micro-breaks:

  • Breathe break – Take in oxygen to the brain.
  • Stand break – Simply standing and walking a sedentary body will do more for you than you think, even with such little effort
  • Stretch break – take that stand and move it to a stretch to get some additional blood flowing. You’d be surprised what a simple, calculated stretch will do for your energy.

EVERYONE on the road has time for MICRO breaks. They don’t affect your time but definitely affect your energy!

2. MINI – Think Minutes/Medium Length
Micro is seconds; mini is minutes. You can sneak a little break in with only a few minutes.
National Institutes of Health (NIH) research reveals that taking mini-breaks that range up to 5 minutes can improve mental acuity by about 13 percent. That’s GREAT ROI for just five minutes!

  • Bathroom break – This can be a mini-break. If you’re drinking water, this is a natural by-product of your hydration donation. Most on the road have time for mini-breaks either from your meeting that gives you a break, in-between meetings, or self-appointed mini-breaks.
  • Snack break – There’s no shame in getting a snack throughout the day. In fact, it’s probably a good idea to get some other sources of energy to your body so that you can work most effectively. Just remember to put good food into your body to help this mini-break be effective.

3. MAX – Think Unplug/Large Length
This type of break is harder to come by and is either granted during a long meeting or you just have to take it.

  • Water break – Again, if you’re drinking water, you’re going to need a refill, and this is the time to do it.

This couple of minutes’ break does more than you realize and is worth the quick stop. Often, this is a natural upgrade from the micro and mini breaks.

If you’ve been concentrating for a while, at some point in your morning and/or especially in your afternoon, you need a max break. How often have you found yourself pushing through the mid-to-late-afternoon and everything just seems to take you twice as long and the quality is half as good? The solution? A max break. This is a true un-plug.

I’m not talking an hour or even 45 minutes; 15 minutes is a great place to start with a max break.

Breaks are all over for you on the road if you just begin to look for them then learn to leverage them.
The ultimate goal is maximizing that break for all it’s worth to gain the energy you need for your day on the road.

Five Decisions You Must Make at Every Restaurant on the Road

One of the best parts of being a business traveler is the food experience.

It’s great not having to cook or clean up.

Then there’s the ability to chose the type of food you want:

  • Steak
  • Seafood
  • Italian
  • Mexican
  • Thai
  • …and the list goes on.

But wait, there’s more!

Then you get to choose what you want to order off the menu.

Oh the choices.
Oh the temptations!

And the best part of all? You’re not paying for it!

Or at least not yet, right?!

The nights you’re with a customer or client or team dinner, there are no limits.

Choose that appetizer or wine you’ve always wanted to try but never could afford.

Order that top-shelf liquor – heck, make it a double!

But on the company card, of course.

Bring it on!

Yet there is a cost. A heavy cost. And too many road warriors literally carry that cost with them all over their body from flight to board room to hotel. The travel triangle. The weight is literally weighing them down and the scale only goes up.

However, each decision can be easier if you view eating out on the road with the following lenses:

  • Food is Fuel
  • Fuel is Energy

This mindset is critical because it’s not based on the here and now “oh that looks or smells good” but on how I will feel later when we oftentimes need the energy.

The energy to….

  • Finish that proposal
  • Review the presentation
  • Get to bed at a decent time

I not only made the wrong decisions for years, I had the weight to prove it.

You’ve heard of the Freshman 15.
Then there’s the Travel 20.
And being the over-achiever I was on the road, I doubled it and earned what I call “the Entitled 40”

The reality is I could justify my choices and behaviors all day long and night for that matter.

And who was going to argue with me? The business traveler who struggling with the same issues? They’re my biggest supporter!

The point is you need to come to a point in your Road Life where you begin to think about your health along with your work.

We focus too much on the work aspect of the road in general when our health and our home life suffer just as much if not more.

This is why Elite Road Warrior has three focus areas:

  • Work
  • Health
  • Home Life

You do have choices.

And your choices have consequences.

I used to be the guy who said,

“Wow, that looks good. Oh, that looks good, I’ll try that too.”

“Another drink, please?”

“Look at that dessert! I’ll just try a bite”…. until it’s gone.

Leader of the pack! So, I get the battle of eating out on the road ALL-THE-TIME.

I’ve since lost the Entitled 40 in pounds and have kept it off.

I’ve stopped “getting by” on the road and chosen to “get better” and that means every time you eat out on the road.

There is hope and you can learn to leverage the road to get better. And I’m here to be your guide.

All five key decisions are in full effect the most at dinner when we’re much more relaxed potentially after a long travel day or a stressful day on the road but these apply to lunch too.

Five Key Decisions You Must Make at Every Restaurant on the Road

These five decisions are naturally in order. They shouldn’t surprise you but somehow we act surprised when the server comes by and asks us these five questions.

Every.
Single.
Time.

And the nicer the restaurant, the more choices you’ll have right before your very eyes, oftentimes even presented to you on a literal silver platter.

Decision One – What I Will Drink

At dinner time, “the entitled me” always seems to show up ready to go no matter how last night went if you know what I mean.

And depending on if ‘I’m alone for dinner with my laptop lover or entertaining guests or being entertained, I enjoy the wine part of the “wine and dine”.

This is where the slippery slope begins and we have to “know thyself.”

For me, the more I drink, the sloppier I become on my nutrition, especially after a long day.

Here are some suggestions:

  • Always and I mean always order a glass of water if one is not already provided for you. Then here’s the key: drink as much as you can to start. Why?
    • Most of us are more dehydrated than we even think so getting some water into your system is always a smart decision
    • 2. Water fills us up and hopefully detours us from over-eating
    • Join the Free WMP – water match program so whatever drink you do order, make sure you match it 1:1 with water. This will keep you hydrated the rest of the night and especially save you from waking up overly-parched and feeling like you’ve swallowed cotton balls that seem to multiply throughout the night
  • Think about what you’re really drinking and how much you plan to or should drink. Are you going to stay with one type of drink or hop all over the place? For me, when I start hopping, I start paying for it and I don’t mean the tab. Through the years, I’ve become a vodka tonic guy and it’s served me well.

Decision Two – Will I Order an Appetizer

This decision doesn’t come far behind the 1st decision of What I Will Drink.

I never order an appetizer when I’m by myself but somehow am overly tempted with other people.

It’s like each person is waiting for the other one to say “no thanks” or “sure, what looks good to you?”

The appetizer can be the “gotcha” to the meal. When I give in to something especially unhealthy, I get lazy at everything after that point.

Here are some suggestions:

  • Always pre-decide – this means don’t base your decision on what looks and/or smells good. If you do, you’re going down like a Mike Tyson punch.
  • If you choose, eat the cleaner and greener appetizer.
  • If you’re a moderator, which means you can take just one bite and stop, stick to the plan
  • If you’re an abstainer, which means if you start, hide the women and children, it’s going to get ugly quick and the appetizer will disappear, Know Thyself, and don’t start.
  • Order a dark green salad – this is my go-to-choice for a few reasons:
    1. I avoid the tempting and fattening appetizer
    2. It allows me to get in healthy clean greens – just be smart with the toppings and dressings

Remember, Clean and Green is the 2nd element of FUEL after Continually Hydrate. So, use this time to get the good stuff in early – meaning the clean and green stuff.

Decision Three – What Is My Main Course

Ah, the featured presentation. This is why we’re here eating out, well, at least as far as food is concerned.

And depending on the restaurant, this may not be top-secret. If you’re at a chophouse, duh. If you’re at a seafood place, you get the point.

There are two main choices here:

  1. The main course needs to be Clean – look for the cleanest meat possible whether beef, chicken, eggs. If it’s really clean, it will list “grass-fed or organic” which means this is your easiest choice. If not, your 2nd main choice becomes all the more important
  2. What goes ON the main course – we can make a great clean decision with the main course then go five steps backward by all the heavy sauces, etc.

You may fight back and say, “but that’s what gives it all the flavor! And there is truth to it. But it doesn’t mean going ALL or Nothing.

Here are some suggestions:

  • Always do your research – most restaurants now have online menus, so do some intel. Why? Avoid impulse choosing.
  • Put the sauce on the side – sometimes when it’s doused all over the place, you’re forced to eat ALL of it. But if you can just try it, maybe it’s not as good as advertised. Sometimes just a dip here and there is all you need and a better choice in the long run.
  • Add First Then Reverse – first and foremost, get the healthy in. Start there if this is not natural yet and feels like too big of an ask. Add the good stuff in first then begin reversing by taking the bad stuff off. For example, the sauces all over the meat or salad.

Decision Four – What Are My Side Dishes

This may seem like a default decision from your choice of the main dish. But not always.

You can go rogue and choose a side other than what the menu suggests or compels you to choose.

And most restaurants will allow you to easily make the change and sometimes with a very small upcharge. Not a big deal and worth the cost to eat clean and green.

Here are some suggestions:

  • Always have at least one vegetable and preferably with not a ton of processing – steamed broccoli/asparagus / green beans, sautéed spinach, cauliflower, etc.
  • Choose a sweet potato over a baked potato or fries
  • Choose double veggies – another way to sneak in more “Green” of the clean and green.
  • Take a healthy side to go – I do this very often since almost every hotel I stay at has at least a mini-fridge and a microwave.

Decision Five – If I Will Have Dessert

You know they always ask if you want dessert, and if you’re not prepared, you go back to the awkward moment of deciding on the spot.

I tell this story in the Elite Road Warrior book about how at a dinner of 12, a one-pound brownie with a gallon of ice cream covered in whipped cream came out and after hundreds and hundreds of dollars were put on the table as a bet of who could eat it, I took on the challenge (mind you, this was during my Entitled 40 days…).

Impressively and sadly, I finished it then couldn’t digest it, lie down, or sleep for 48 hours. Brutal. Stupid (at least I donated the money).

All that to say, I’ve been the freak in the freak show so I understand the power of decision five: If I will have dessert.

Here are some suggestions:

  • Learn to say “no” upfront so others know where you stand
  • Know if you’re a moderator or abstainer – I know the “wanna be moderators” whose “just a bite” is the gift that keeps on giving or should I say taking. I’ve eaten with you people.
  • Choose a fruit bowl – this is my go-to when I want something sweet but not go down heavy with the dessert. I love anything berries and you can’t go wrong.
  • Carry dark chocolate with you – my wife and I are huge Trader Joe dark chocolate lovers. I carry a bar with me – far healthier choice and less ugly in the long run.

If you follow these five decisions you must make at every restaurant on the road in the healthiest form, you will win with nutrition in business travel.

And you will have the energy to prove it along with fewer pounds to carry.

I get you because I am you!

References

10 Business Travel Hacks Guide

7 Early Warning Signs for Companies to Avoid Business Travel Burnout