Excessive business travel... How to cope? Family? Tips/Tricks?

I have a large territory and travel extensively for work. I have a young family that I miss while I'm on the road. How do you cope while you're away? Anything that helps transitioning from road to home and vice versa?

๐Ÿ™ Mental Wellness
1
CoorsKing
WR Officer
1
Retired King of the Coors Knights
I had a brief 2 year stint where I spent 3-4 days a week in a different state. I basically covered the whole western US. Here were some of my tricks I always relied on:

1) I got a 24 Hour gym membership, and always booked hotels within walking distance from a 24. It is very easy to just get to the hotel and turn into a vegetable, but the workouts kept me in a routine and took some of the monotony out of it. Plus, health is important!

2) Eat healthy on the road. It is super easy to just get a burger in the airport, all of those add up quickly. I always tried to make sure I made healthy food choices, sometimes bringing my own food. I found the healthier I ate, the better mentally I felt. Any time I had a big greasy meal and just went back to the hotel, it felt extra depressing for some reason.

3) Lots and lots of FaceTime. I personally do not have kids (yet) but my significant other was certainly not a fan of me being gone all the time, and it did get lonely.ย 

4) VIP status with your car rental company of choice. Being able to just walk up and get in a car saves SO MUCH TIME.

5) Books, I would always bring books. Once my meetings were done for the day and I was done with my workout, I would read a lot. Sometimes I would go explore if it was a new city, but if it was somewhere I had been many times I would just read at night to pass time. Great time to read sales, leadership, personal finance books, etc.ย 

MrMotivation
Politicker
2
Sales
Surprisingly stole my answer for each point. I would also add that even though you may be incredibly tired from travel, do your best to spend as much time as possible going out of your way for family at home. Let them associate you leaving with excitement that you will be back instead of disappointment that you are leaving.ย 
MoFo
Fire Starter
1
BDM
Iโ€™ve been traveling for most of my career and I agree with all of this.

falling into unhealthy habits is a slippery slope thats very easy to go down, especially if youโ€™re taking clients out for dinner every night.ย 
Iย donโ€™t want to think about how much I drank โ€œentertainingโ€ clients over the first few years. ย I had to learn to โ€œPace and Spaceโ€.

One recommendation- I use an app called Marco Polo so I can leave video messages for the kids (and they send to me) itโ€™s really helpful for diff time zones and early/late flights when itโ€™s hard to connect live.

Maximas
Tycoon
0
Senior Sales Executive
Great Points is the least to say!
JDialz
Politicker
0
Chief Operating Officer
Are you able to take the fam with you sometimes?
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