Four Ways to Maintain Work-Life Balance When on a Business Trip

Traveling is a huge part of my job. Since I started my family 10 years ago, work-life balance, especially when traveling, is something I have to consciously make an effort to do better. Having two young girls, I often felt “mom guilt” when I missed things like recitals or play dates. I distinctly remember a trip I took to Los Angeles for work when my eldest was three years old and my youngest just a couple months. It was the second morning of my three-day trip and I was exhausted and feeling guilty for leaving my husband with two little kids for the first time. My three-year-old got on the phone and said, “Mom, I miss you. Can you come home right now because Dad doesn’t know how to pack my snack box for school!” I hung up and cried. I then called my husband back and decided not to intervene (going against every bone in my body!). I told my daughter that Dad was better at it than Mom and everything would be okay. 

It was moments like this when I realized that it wasn’t possible for me to be everywhere all the time and that having a perfect work-life balance isn’t realistic. Knowing this, I implemented some really helpful habits when traveling for work that have given me some peace of mind, allowed me to go that extra mile for myself and, most importantly, make my busy travel schedule work better for my family.

1. Establish a routine

This isn’t always easy to do but if you have the opportunity, it’s worth adopting. Whether it’s choosing the same hotel in a destination you travel to regularly, a fitness routine you carry out daily before a busy day or eating meals at the same time as you do at home, routine is a great way to achieve a level of stability. I always stay at the same hotels which makes it feel like home. Every morning at 7:30 a.m. MT (Calgary time), no matter where I am or what I have scheduled for the day, I call my family.

2. Take care of yourself during business travel

Your family is counting on you so much, so it’s important to make the extra effort to look after yourself when traveling, just the way you would at home. Without the ability to cook a healthy meal when I’m away, I try to choose light, vegetarian options in favour of heavy, on-the-go meals. I like to get as much fresh air in between meetings as possible and always make time to schedule one non-business related activity to make the trip more memorable and get the most of the city I am visiting. During a recent business trip to Boston, I visited Acorn Street, a historical treasure in the Beacon Hill area and left feeling inspired!

3. Get to know airport lounges

I always leave myself some extra time to take advantage of airport lounges where I can sit back and relax and enjoy some snacks and refreshments before my flight. I have the new Scotiabank Passport? Visa Infinite Business* Card which gets me six free visits each year to more than 1,200 airport lounges around the world. It’s the little things like relaxing in a comfortable seat before the flight and taking some uninterrupted “me” time that go a long way.

Bonus tip: As an experienced traveler, I always take the first flight out because it leaves on time, every time.

4. Bags don’t have to mean baggage

If you control your bag, you control your time. I only every travel with a carry-on bag. If I have to take samples with me, I get them shipped before I arrive at my destination. And with carry-on baggage I no longer have to waste time checking in or at a baggage carousel when I’ve landed. And no costly hassles related to lost luggage, either!

In my bag I always pack a great pair of noise-cancelling headphones and some pre-loaded custom playlists on my phone. With some good music and the ability to drown out distracting noises, I am always in a better mood when I arrive at my destination. Some may be surprised to hear that I never work on planes because I consider it my downtime!

I hope these tips will be helpful to anyone looking to achieve more balance. Finding the perfect balance all the time is just not possible, but I firmly believe that if you take even the smallest actions towards your own self-care, you will become a better version of yourself in your work and family life. I would love to hear from you how create work-life balance. Share your tips and tricks in the comments below!