To provide for and take care of their family, many people have careers where they spend a large portion of their time on the road or away from their loved ones. Whether this means working in the oil and gas sector, being a long-haul trucker, or just having to visit different locations as part of your job, spending long periods of time away from friends and family can be challenging. Thankfully, there are things that you can do to bridge these gaps even when you can’t physically be close.
To help you see how this can be done, here are three tips for staying connected with your loved one when you work on the road.
Schedule Contact Every Day
While this can be difficult to accomplish, especially if you’re working in a place that has very different hours than where your friends and family live, one of the best ways you can stay connected with your loved ones is to schedule contact with them every day.
By getting in touch with your friends or family members on a daily basis, you can still remain a part of each others’ lives despite the distance between you. Especially if you have children back home, it’s going to be so beneficial for them to connect with you each day. And according to Tamekia Reece, a contributor to Parents.com, you should also try to vary how you’re getting in touch. While phone calls are great, you can also do video calls, video chat through various apps, and more.
Make Your Communication Count
When you’re getting in touch with your loved one each day, it’s important to make this time count.
Although it’s easy to just get into a routine of talking about the same small and unimportant matters, Francesca Street, a contributor to CNN, advises that you try to avoid just talking about nothing when you communicate. Ideally, you should try to talk about the real issues that are going on in your lives and in the lives of your friends or family members. Because you’re not home to allow these conversations to take place in person, you’ve got to facilitate them virtually in order to remain an active participant in their lives.
Do Something Special For Your Kids
For those who do have kids at home, it can be very hard to feel like you’re so out of the loop and unaware of what’s going on in their daily lives.
When your kids are little, Christine Persaud, a contributor to Moms.com, shares that you might want to try a fun activity where you take a small toy of theirs with you on your trips and document what it is you’ve been doing with them. Then, whenever your child sees that toy later on, they’ll be reminded of you and the love you have for them.
If you’re away from home frequently as part of your job, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you stay connected with your friends and family.
