A lot of people who have to travel often for their business tend to have mixed feelings about the subject. On the one hand, it can be exciting to visit new and exciting locales, meet interesting new people, and create networking opportunities. On the other hand, however, the physical and mental exhaustion associated with being away from home for extended periods of time can drain you and place undue strain upon your life at home.
These feelings of stress can increase exponentially for people who are married or involved in otherwise serious relationships. If you have children, it can be even more stressful if you’re leaving them behind, especially if you’re travelling for work for the first time without them.
If you’re hopping on a plane every week to go attend meetings across the country (or even overseas) and your significant other has to stay behind, the entire family will experience similar stressful emotions, and this will inevitably be taxing. It is absolutely vital that everyone involved strive to meet one another’s emotional needs and bridge the distances. Remember, just like in business, the key to maintaining a relationship with your significant other or family is communication. The same concept applies to your children, as well.
As simple as it may seem, make sure that you’re actually staying connected with your family throughout the day for the duration of your trip. Yes, it seems like a no-brainer, but we sometimes forget to focus on this step and as a result, relationships suffer. In order to avoid making the same mistake, set up a communication schedule with your family members. Make technology work for you: text them “good morning” when you wake up, call during your lunch breaks, plan to get on Skype at night for some face-to-face time, or send photos and videos throughout the day. Commit to keeping in touch as a top priority, and you will be well on the way towards maintaining your relationship.
Tell your children when you plan to leave, where you are going, what you’re going to be doing, how they can get a hold of you if they want/need, and when you are going to return. Remember that younger children may not have a concept of dates, so mark your departure and return dates on a colorful calendar and encourage them to mark off days every time they wake up so they get an idea of when you are coming home. Try showing them photos of where you are visiting or point it out on a map. Try to ensure that the homefront stays as close to normal as possible. Stick to their daily routines and keep their day-to-day lives from becoming too disrupted. And lastly, just as you would with a spouse or significant other, check in with them daily when possible.
Trying doing things together while you are apart. Despite not being next to one another, you can still participate in bonding activities over long distance. As a couple of examples, try reading the same book series with your partner or kids while you’re away. Watch the same television show on Netflix, listen to the same Spotify playlists, or perhaps even train for the same physical activity such as a 5k run or even a marathon. Not only will this keep you occupied while you’re away and provide you with a sense of connection to your home life, it will provide stimulating conversations topics when you call your family at the end of the day. Instead of rattling off information about your business meetings, you can talk to one another about the activities you both accomplished that day.
If you are in a position that requires frequent travel, make sure that you are setting aside adequate time for your family whenever you do end up back at the house. As soon as you cross the threshold, no matter how stressed out or jet-lagged you may be, make an effort to catch up with your S.O. and other family members. Make an effort to spend at least fifteen to twenty minutes with your children when you come home; they’re going to want to fill you in on every detail of their time without you! Exchange a hug, have some dinner, or have a quick glass of wine before you get back to your usual work. In between the business trips you need to make, help out around the house as much as you can. Focus on quality time with your children if you have them and spend some time parenting. Your kids will need it, and your spouse will need it just as badly. This will help condition the family to take care of each other while you’re gone and ease any issues that might arise in your absence.
And lastly, try to limit your time on the road as much as you can. Trim as much time off your trips as you possibly can: spend some extra money to get direct flights to and from, take the redeye flight home, compact three-day trips into two-day ones if you can. This will allow you to spend as much time with your family as possible, letting you take care of the important things at home as well as those at work.
