There might be many reasons we need to work away from home. A job might have arisen that suits our needs, but it is not possible to fully relocate. The industry we work in may not be thriving in our hometown but we already have roots here. So it is necessary to separate our home and our job. It may be a temporary solution but still a considerable change such as several months or even a fixed term of years.

More and more people are finding that they must work away from home in order to achieve their financial and professional goals. Without careful planning, this can put a strain on home life and any existing relationships. However, with some awareness and consideration, working away from home can be positive and successful.

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Identify Your Goals

Before begin your time working away from home, identify some clear goals. Think carefully about why you are doing this and what you hope to achieve. It might be financial. You might be hoping to generate a certain amount that you can then put towards a home, car, or savings for example. It might be a professional reason, such as getting your work noticed by the right people or networking effectively. It might even be that you wish to broaden your horizons personally, or test out a new area or industry before fully committing and relocating. Whatever your reason, try to formulate it and then write it down in an accessible place. There will be time while you are away from home that you may become discouraged. You may feel lonely or lost. You may have experienced a setback at work or not be flourishing in the ways that you hoped. You may simply be exhausted or feeling down for no particular reason. Having written down your goals and encouragements, now is a good time to revisit them. Clarify in your mind why you are putting in the extra effort or why it will be worth any hardships. Having goals has many advantages. Not only will it be easier to identify if you are going off track, but it will be quicker and easier to motivate yourself again.

Get Organised

Many people begin to find working away from home stressful because they have not fully got organised before they leave. They have neglected to tell certain people they are no longer at home full-time, for example. They may have forgotten to register with a dentist or doctor in a new area. They may even have completely forgotten to redirect important mail. These are all understandable but must be addressed if working away will be successful. Make things easier for yourself. Consider digitising your mail with a virtual mailbox for rent, for example.

Visit your new workplace or home ahead of schedule so that you don’t feel completely lost when you first arrive. It can also be an important step to set a routine for staying in touch with family and loved ones. It can be easy to become overwhelmed in a new job and to forget to get in touch with people, even when we mean to. This can put enormous worry and strain on the people we love. Set a routine and stick to it. If you can only make a weekly phone call, that is fine, but never miss it. If you can do daily texts or emails, even better!