As I wrap up my research/promotion trip to Kentucky, I am getting a solid reminder of the need to budget oneself physically. The truth is, being away from home for extended periods of time is exhausting even when you're trying to pace yourself. Travel almost always results in disturbed sleep patterns; you are continually adapting to unfamiliar places, your schedule tends to be irregular, and the push to Get Things Done keeps your adrenaline/cortisol levels pumped up higher than usual, tending to mean that whatever sleep you do get is often of poorer quality than you get at home in your own bed. This is the time when good stress management techniques can come in very handy, along with a supply of melatonin.
Then there's diet. If you're like me, you're probably strongly tempted to throw caution to the wind and just eat whatever. In one word: DON'T. I'm not saying you shouldn't enjoy yourself, but keeping an eye on what you eat and drink does make a substantial difference in how much you're dragging by midway through your trip---not least because overindulgence in alcohol, caffeine, fat, and/or sugar ties back into the bugaboo of getting enough quality sleep. Dehydration is also pretty common when you're on the road, and the combination of too little water and too much sugar can definitely make any aches and pains you have flare up. It's better just to avoid the problems by exercising moderation. If you can work in some exercise to go with it, all the better.
Finally, there's mental exhaustion. If you're making a lot of appearances, the pressure's on to make sure that you and everything you need are in the right place at the right time, to say nothing of the pressure to present yourself and your book well and make good impressions. If you're working in research time (as I did on this trip), you're trying to make the most of every precious moment that you have access to resources you don't have at home. Working some "me time" into your schedule may seem like a luxury, but it isn't. Take time to stop and take in a local attraction or two. Laugh with friends or give loved ones back home a call. Pray. Meditate. Set some time aside for reflection on what you've learned. Shop for something nice for someone you love at home. You'll have to keep balance in mind; this is a business trip, after all. But do take time to take some pleasure in the journey and some care for your own needs. You'll work the better for it.
Then there's diet. If you're like me, you're probably strongly tempted to throw caution to the wind and just eat whatever. In one word: DON'T. I'm not saying you shouldn't enjoy yourself, but keeping an eye on what you eat and drink does make a substantial difference in how much you're dragging by midway through your trip---not least because overindulgence in alcohol, caffeine, fat, and/or sugar ties back into the bugaboo of getting enough quality sleep. Dehydration is also pretty common when you're on the road, and the combination of too little water and too much sugar can definitely make any aches and pains you have flare up. It's better just to avoid the problems by exercising moderation. If you can work in some exercise to go with it, all the better.
Finally, there's mental exhaustion. If you're making a lot of appearances, the pressure's on to make sure that you and everything you need are in the right place at the right time, to say nothing of the pressure to present yourself and your book well and make good impressions. If you're working in research time (as I did on this trip), you're trying to make the most of every precious moment that you have access to resources you don't have at home. Working some "me time" into your schedule may seem like a luxury, but it isn't. Take time to stop and take in a local attraction or two. Laugh with friends or give loved ones back home a call. Pray. Meditate. Set some time aside for reflection on what you've learned. Shop for something nice for someone you love at home. You'll have to keep balance in mind; this is a business trip, after all. But do take time to take some pleasure in the journey and some care for your own needs. You'll work the better for it.