Work/Life Balance Tips for the
Business Traveler
by Eileen McDargh
Balance and the business traveler has everything to do with staying
"connected". As I indicate in my book, Work for a Living
& Still Be Free to Live, we achieve a fluctuating balance by
how we CHOOSE to stay connected with the critical areas of our life.
Business travel can take a heavy emotional, physical and mental
toll.
Let me suggest some ways to stay connected with these areas while
"on the road":
Emotional—staying connected with your home base and significant
people. If you have children, depending upon their ages, consider
the following: Take your child with you in your imagination. Ask
them if they would select a SMALL toy of theirs that you could carry
with you and so stay connected with them. Tape record a favorite
story or a good night ritual which can be played before the child
goes to sleep. With the child, track your travels on a map and together
talk about some of the places or things of interest about your destination
(lobsters in Maine; skyscrapers in NY, the lions at the Chicago
Art Museum.) As an added bonus, you will have a new appreciation
for the place where you'll be.
—Send post cards home to each member of the family (make up labels
in advance and buy stamps). You only need to write one personal
line. Doesn't matter that you'll get home before the postcard. You
thought of them.
—Leave love notes for your partner (under the pillow/ with the
toothpaste/ on the bathroom mirror). My husband leaves a message
with the hotel operator to deliver "Bill loves you most!"
Operators really get a kick out of delivering this message
—Have a different e-mail address for family members and send home
messages
—Take a blank book and fill it with favorite pictures of home,
family, friends, pet. Always take the book with you on your travels.
(I do!)
—If possible, make separate calls to your spouse and your children.
That way, no one has to share "air time".
Physical—staying connected with your body. Be THERE. Don't keep
two watch times. You'll be tempted to say "But I can't go to
sleep now it's only 7pm in CA. or "I can't get up at 6:00—it's
only 3AM in CA.
—Plan time (it won't just appear) for exercise of any kind. Bring
shoes for running or walking. Bring exercise rubber bands for muscle
tone. (Take up no room) Use stairs rather than elevator where possible.
—Bring any item which can easily make you "feel at home".
This can be anything from a pillow case, a teddy bear, a small picture.
—If it's your style, bring herbal scents for the room; bath salts.
One friend carries a device for drowning out sound. She turns it
on and selects anything from ocean sounds to raindrops.
—Try a portable vaporizer. Clears sinuses and puts moisture back
into the face.
—Bring saline solution nasal spray for the airlines. Also, a small
atomizer of water (some kinds are mixed with aloe). Body tissues
become very dehydrated on flights. Drink more water than you ever
thought possible.
—Always ask for a room away from the elevator and the ice machine.
—Unless you have great stamina, avoid red eye flights. Much better
to come in rested to do work than stumble your way through a meeting.
—Find luggage that works for you. Weight, size, length of shoulder
strap.
—Lighten the load: if an extended trip, ship home materials or
clothes you won't need. Bring a pre-addressed packing slip. Concierge
can help. Whenever possible, check your baggage. Carry only with
you the necessities for work and personal hygiene and health. Wear
clothes that could suit for your meeting should luggage not make
it. There's far too much carry-on these days.
Mental—staying connected with your psyche. Self- talk is powerful
when traveling. Why become angry and upset at weather delays (over
which no one can do anything)? Mechanical problems are a fact of
life. If at all possible, never book yourself on the last flight
to your destination. Always have a later flight. And if you can't
make it, consider that you have been given a gift of time.
—Use time in flight to get caught up on journals, periodicals,
etc. For me, a successful trip is when my briefcase gets lighter
and the pocket of the seat in front gets heavier.
—See your destination with new eyes. Consider that you are an explorer.
Try something new: a restaurant, a neighborhood, a museum, even
the note the difference of people.
—Keep a small journal and write observations. This also lets you
bring home "more than work" to share with the home front.
—Start the day quiet. Meditate. Deep breathe. Allow enough time
to get ready before you leave the hotel.
Lastly, expect the unexpected and let go of the outcome. Do what
you can for contingencies. Bring a cell phone, essential numbers
and don't book the last flight out. Then relax into the uncertainty
of travel. Stress comes from trying to control the uncontrollable.
Let it go.
© Eileen McDargh, McDargh Communications. All rights reserved. You may reprint this article so long as it remains intact with the byline and if all links are made live.
Since 1980, Hall of Fame speaker Eileen McDargh has helped Fortune 100 companies as well as individuals create connections that count and conversations that matter. Her latest book is Gifts from the Mountain-Simple Truths for Life's Complexities. Her other books include Talk Ain't
Cheap...It's Priceless and Work for a Living and Still Be Free to Live, one of the first books to address the notion of balance and authentic work. A 59 year-old grandmother, she recently returned from climbing among the highest mountains in the world. Find out more about this compelling
and effective professional speaker and join her free newsletter by visiting http://www.EileenMcDargh.com.
McDargh
Communications
(949) 496-8640
Eileen@EileenMcDargh.com
www.EileenMcDargh.com
© 2008 McDargh Communications, All rights
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