How to Keep Work Travel from Ruining Your Relationship
Overview: How Travel Affects Your Relationship
Traveling for work can put a strain on your relationship and damage your connection with your spouse.
You might be more stressed and worried or feel insecure about the relationship.
Or you and your partner might go days or weeks without talking much, because you both understand your busy schedules, yet when you’re back together you feel disconnected.
If you’re the one staying home, you might feel lonely and stressed with keeping the household running on your own. If you’re the one traveling, you might be busy in meetings, missing your spouse and feeling lonely at night.
Here are 5 steps you can take to keep your relationship connected when work travel keeps you apart.
1. Set check-in times.
If you’re in different time zones, or the same, go ahead and look at your schedules. Find times, even if just for a few minutes, that you can set aside to talk with each other. Schedule that in your calendar and make it your priority.
2. Create guidelines together.
Create some guidelines on what each of you are comfortable with when separate. Trust and honesty are important. Whatever the boundaries and guidelines are that you set, make sure there is mutual understanding and agreement of them, and that they are communicated clearly and kindly with each other. This isn’t about one of you making rules for the other. This is about both of you agreeing to the same guidelines to protect your relationship.
3. Find ways to express love.
Find ways to express love to each other before, during, and after traveling. Think about what your spouse will notice, appreciate, and feel loved by. Here are some ideas:
-
- Leave notes in their luggage or around the house before you leave
- Have a small gift or flowers delivered to them while you’re away
- Send a kind text or email message to them during the day
4. Schedule date nights.
This is especially important if one spouse is traveling for a significant amount of time, like several days to weeks. Before the trip, go ahead and schedule a date night for when they return. Plan something fun that you both can enjoy.
5. Prioritize the time you have together.
Make the most of your time together. Even if you’re both just at home, focus on connecting with each other without distractions. Talk with each other. Make eye contact. Share your thoughts and feelings. Enjoy the time you have together.
