My husband has to be out of town a lot for work. How can we stay close and on top of things when he’s gone so often?
If you or your spouse travel frequently for work, it can be a tricky thing for your marriage.
Sure, we all like the benefits that come from a great income and successful career, but so much time apart can create strain in the best of relationships. However, finding new employment may not be an option. So how can you maintain a healthy marriage when one of you is is frequently away from home?
We have come up with several suggestions to help you stay close and keep things flowing as smoothly as possible in your marriage relationship while one spouse is away:
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Make taking care of necessary household tasks part of your trip plan.
Need to set an appointment with the plumber? Need to mow the lawn? Refill prescriptions? When you are getting ready for a trip, or right when you just get back, it’s easy to let things slide. Sure, you need to rest, but it won’t feel restful for long if you fall way behind on things at home. You’ll wind up scrambling and introducing more stress.
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Schedule appointments to stay close with your family.
Just like the high-powered sales meeting you need to make sure goes off without a hitch, make a plan to keep up with your spouse and kids while you’re gone. With the benefit of video calls, you can even attend Billy’s band concert—virtually—while you’re away. Make at least one special appointment per family member, per trip.
Schedule a time to interact with your spouse every day while you’re gone, even if it’s just for a few minutes. And send them a text a few times each day, to let them know what’s happening. Even if it’s just “Heading into meeting, please pray that I’ll have peace,” it invites your spouse into your day. -
Find a way to keep your routines.
This one applies both personally, and to your marriage relationship. Do you have a special workout or diet program? Stick to it, or find a suitable alternative while you’re on the road. Do you and your spouse watch a specific television program together each week? Watch it together via technology, or watch it when you can and then discuss it together. Do you pray together before bed? Keep it going by phone, or send a special prayer by email or text before you turn out the lights.
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Promote purity.
It’s hard to stay close without trust. Remind each other before the trip starts about the commitment you have to be faithful to each other. Share your schedule with your spouse, including what you plan to do outside of work times. Invite your spouse to ask you each night about how you spent your day. And make it a habit to bring a framed photo of your family with you to set on the nightstand at the hotel. This will remind you of who really matters in your life and help you avoid temptation
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Plan a reunion.
Make homecomings a special event. You may have to really work at these, but try not to schedule other things right after your spouse comes home. Make a big deal of their arrival. Plan to go out to eat or make their favorite meal. Set aside time to talk and be close physically. After you’ve been apart for a while, it’s important to get back on the same page emotionally, and enjoy being together again.
Do you have some other tips to share with our readers? What strategies do you and your spouse use to stay close and make being apart as painless as possible?
More reading:
Declutter Your Marriage in 15 Minutes a Day
Trusting God in Your Life and Marriage
Freebie! Download our free guide, “7 Steps to Unwavering Trust“!
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