Today's business travelers are wired -- in more ways than one.

Plugged into voice mail and e-mail, hovered over laptops far into the night, business travelers have nowhere to hide from the pressures of work. Other stresses such as crowded highways, overbooked flights and unexplained delays can make just getting to a destination downright miserable -- it's no wonder today's road warriors are seeking ways to relax.

According to the Travel Industry Association of America's National Travel Survey, 197 million trips were taken in 1998, with each business traveler taking an average of 5.4 business trips a year.

So how can the nation's road warriors cope with all of that travel? Here are 10 tips that just may take the edge off business travel.

1. Take a mental vacation. That's what nearly all business travelers do when they're traveling by plane. Ninety-five percent do not consider work their first priority during flight, according to a poll conducted by Harris Interactive for Delta Air Lines. Leisure, rather than work activities, is mentioned more frequently. In fact, more than half (55 percent) take advantage of onboard entertainment and 64 percent use the time to sit and think. A whopping 81 percent read for pleasure, topped only by the all-time favorite activity for business fliers -- looking out the window.

2. Escape in a book. If you're among those who enjoy reading to relax, Country Inns & Suites By Carlson has an in-hotel library program called Book It And Return that lends guests free books such as The New York Times best-seller "Tuesdays with Morrie." "With more than 80 percent of business travelers reading for pleasure during their trips, we encourage our guests to borrow a book from the in-house library. When they're finished with it we ask that guests return the book to any Country Inns & Suites North American property upon their next visit," says Yvonne La Penotiere, vice president of sales & marketing, Country Inns & Suites. "For each book that is returned, the company will make a $5 donation to Laubach Literacy, up to a $20,000 annual donation."

3. Get some exercise. After sitting in meetings and seminars all day, it's not unusual to feel the need for exercise and fresh air. More than one fourth of U.S. travelers have used a fitness center or gym while traveling. And last year one in eight played golf while on a trip of 100 miles or more away from home, according to the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA).

4. Find another outlet. Is shopping your sport? It is for many travelers, including those on business trips. Outlet shopping malls are becoming major attractions, with 55 million travelers visiting them annually. And while the shopping experience isn't necessarily the primary reason for most trips, many consider it another diversion from the daily grind. After all, walking around a mall is a form of exercise, too. (CONTINUE...)