LiveWorkBalance

As I am actually going to be on a plane as this post is published (the joys of scheduled posts), the topic that came to mind when writing today’s post was trying to maintain a balance while traveling for business. Traveling for pleasure can also present some challenges for balance, but that’s a post for another day.

Being away from home from work can be a source of stress for many of us. From the stresses of traveling (Is the flight going to be on time? Is my luggage going to get there?), to the stresses of being away from home (There’s so much to do, and I don’t want to miss that recital/game) to the thought of the work that might be piling up in your inboxes at home, there are many things that can make it extra stressful, and thus make maintaining a balance that much more important.

So how do we do that?

For some things, there are no easy answers. Some are just a matter of scheduling, and this can be a place where, if you have the power, learning to say no can be a key factor. If you see that that sales trip is going to conflict with you daughter’s school play, then if it can be changed, do so. I know there are going to be times where that’s just not an option, where the boss says, get on that plane and get to the client’s office, or else. Then the choice is either going, or “or else”. Who knows, you might be in a position to take the “or else”, but I digress.

In some cases, being flexible can allow for some greater leeway. If you can get more done quicker, you have some options. You can either shorten the trips, or give yourself more time to get things done at home around the trip schedule. Perhaps finishing up a half day early and heading home to get those chores done, or making sure you can spend some extra time with the family. Allowing yourself that flexibility can give you more options when looking for ways to make things easier.

For personal balance, there are ways to do that as well. If you’re working on trying to maintain a fitness program, perhaps see if your hotel has a gym you can use, or if your gym has a branch in that city that you get to use as part of your membership. If you’re a runner, check with the front desk to see if there are any good running routes in the area. This can be a novel way to see a city from a new angle. Additionally, exercise and routine can be a way of helping to combat jet lag, if you’ve made a jump across time zones.

For maintaining contact with home, technology can be a great equalizer. I remember when I was on exchange in university, living halfway around the world, with a thirteen hour time difference, for 9 months. At that time, email and instant messaging were a great help. Today, with programs like Skype and other VoIP programs, it makes keeping in touch that much easier, and just as free.

As far as work stress, for some, being on the road may be a part of your job, and the location of your office doesn’t matter much to your day to day work routine. If you’ve made the switch to a (reasonably) paperless office, you may be able to work anywhere you can get a cell phone signal and a reasonably flat place to set your laptop. For others, we need to put protocols in place to manage the return. Other than the basics, such as setting your out-of-office email reply to ensure that people know who else they can contact, there are a few other tricks as well. Perhaps try changing the return date on your out-of-office and voicemail to a day later than you actually return. This gives you a day to get back into the swing of things, read through your email, and deal with those urgent items that may have arisen while you were away before you get pulled back into the day to day work. Some try to schedule a flight back so they arrive in the office in midday. This may give you some of the same advantages, basically allowing you time to get yourself in order before other people are expecting you.

These are just a few tips I’ve come across or thought of to try to help. I’m sure there are many others. What are some of the things you do to try to maintain a sense of balance on the road?

Posted on October 18th, 2007 under General • Tags: Family, stress, travel. •  Print This Post •  Email This Post • RSS 2.0 feed • Leave a response, or trackback