Work travel and making work travel successful in a way that balances career and family needs equally is real and accomplishable.
I’ve built a career that I’m incredibly proud of and hold a position that has (and will) always require me to travel around the country to various client locations and company meetings. Pre-Pandemic (and pre-Hudson) work travel looked very different. I traveled anywhere from 3 – 4 weeks per month for 2 – 4 days per week. That was crazy! My husband and I had a weekend-only relationship with an occasional five-minute FaceTime date during the week if I wasn’t too exhausted to communicate at the end of the day or sitting on an airplane.
Post-Pandemic (or whatever we call it now) and post-Hudson, work travel yet again looks very different. With a family, I can’t commit to a last-minute trip or add a last-minute leg to a new location at the end of the week. Now, work travel requires family planning and consideration. What does my Husband’s schedule look like? Does he have offsite meetings? Will we need help with school pick up and drop off? Is there food in the refrigerator?
The bottom line is that work travel is not glamorous. I repeat: not glamorous. However, like most things, the new work travel mode is about taking it in stride and finding ways to make it work for our family, while still making it work for me (or my husband, or you – the traveler).
Getting your mind right about work travel is key to success as is prepping to make your work trip successful from a business, career, and family perspective.
3 Recommendations for Family-Friendly Work Travel
- Discuss, then Commit: There are multiple schedules to coordinate when planning work travel, and one of those is your Family’s. Before committing to dates and meeting times, discuss them with your spouse to ensure you’re both on the same page and comfortable with the duration of travel. Taking an extra 24 hours to commit to work travel will harm nothing, but committing without considering your family’s schedule and needs will cause turbulence.
- Ask, then Help: My husband and I share all responsibilities of parenting and household stuff, but we also each have things that we own. For example, I always do the grocery shopping and meal prep and he always does the budgeting. When prepping for work travel, I’ll ask him what would be helpful from a meal and food perspective and if there is anything specific he wants me to prepare in advance or grab from the grocery store.If he asks me to help with something specific, I do it without question. If he says, “I think we’re good!” I honor that equally. For your family maybe this is laundry, filling the car up with gas, etc. Whatever it is, ask, then help.
- Prepare during Non-Family Time: There is nothing worse than knowing work travel is coming up (whether you are the traveler or not) and seeing all the prep work for the trip being done during typical family time. This takes away from togetherness and puts even more pressure on your spouse. Pack your suitcase and pick up extra toiletries during a break in meetings or after your kiddo(s) are asleep / taking a nap. Leading up to work travel, it’s important to keep your work and family boundaries clear.
5 Recommendations for Comfortable Work Travel
I stand firm that work travel is about as least glamorous as it comes. While work travel often feels hard and exhausting, it also comes with feelings of great pride and accomplishment because it’s what we need to be doing for our careers, our businesses, and our clients. All that to say, there is no reason why work travel can’t be made as easy and comfortable to suit you while on the road.
To make work travel easy and comfortable while you’re traveling, consider these 5 recommendations.
- Bring the comforts of home. Whatever puts a little pep in your step at home are the things you should bring at home. Maybe this is part of your morning routine or just an afternoon pick-me-up that makes you happy. For me, it’s a variety of Yogi tea, Vega One protein bars, a favorite set of pajamas, and Alba body lotion that I cannot go without. These little things go a long way in making me feel comfortable and quite honestly, special while on the go.
- Simplify packing. I don’t unpack everything to repack. My suitcase is always stocked with a work travel survival pack which includes necessities. Things like my Rodan + Fields skincare, a round brush for a blowout, makeup remover wipes, and travel clothing steamer never leave my suitcase. They’re always ready to travel.
- Find the perfect flying time. After heeding advice from fellow work-traveling co-workers who raved about taking “the first flight out,” I gave it a shot. I also walked into the men’s bathroom two times at the airport while just trying to make it to the airplane. I realized those weren’t my flights. Rather, I try to fly out late afternoons, which gives me time to hit the gym, pack, enjoy lunch with my husband, and check-in with my team before heading to the airport. I’m much more relaxed, and awake, and have consistently proven to use the women’s bathroom.
- Don’t forget activities. Work travel days are long. An average work travel day is well beyond 8 hours and nothing is worse than being stuck in a hotel room with nothing to do but work. I’ve found that having a journal, a great book, and/or a magazine helps me to relax and find a pocket of “me time” to enjoy on the road goes a long way.
- Move your body. I’m definitely not trying to be the best at fitness, but energy is a necessity when I’m traveling and it doesn’t just manifest; it’s created. Getting up early for a 30-minute workout before my day starts has proven to give me more energy all day long and I feel more effective in each of my activities (meetings, email, networking, etc.). Plan ahead for your workout and make it simple but effective.
It’s almost always going to be true that picking up and leaving your family isn’t necessarily ideal, but work travel is always an opportunity. Finding a few ways to make the most of it and balance the work with planning ahead for both your family and you is key to success! Apply these family-friendly and comfortable work travel recommendations to your next trip, surely you’ll notice a difference.
