Posts tagged "road warrior"

Finding a Therapist

Life can be stressful and having a safe, non-judgmental place to explore worries, fears, and relationships is so important. Finding a therapist that is a good fit is important as well. I have had the opportunity to work with a wide range of clients since I began my career as a therapist almost 20 years ago. In my private practice I currently see individuals and couples and I have a few unique specialties: overwhelmed women, perfectionism, burnout, and super commuters or road warriors and/or their spouses. I am currently conducting sessions, therapy and coaching, in-person and via telehealth.

Individuals may choose to focus on how perfectionism or overwhelm are impacting their lives, self-esteem, relationships, career dissatisfaction, or motherhood. Decreasing fear of failure is a useful goal in these scenarios as is exploring how any of these issues might relate to feelings of anxiety and depression. For the partner of a road warrior, I can help navigate the unique challenges and stressors of this type of relationship. Topics of exploration in couples therapy might include parenting strategies, dual career challenges, or the impact of a road warrior regularly leaving and returning.

I also offer coaching sessions for clients on a variety of topics including but not limited to: deciding whether to embark on a super commute or accept a job that involves frequent travel; career change/job search; strategies for maintaining a strong relationship despite being apart; strategies for marketing a book; and how to use writing to increase your visibility in the world.

In addition, I speak on a regular basis on a variety of topics including burnout, workplace mental health, leadership & empathy, perfectionism, and road warrior wellness. You can find links to articles I’ve written or contributed to on these topics along the right side of this page.

Feel free to reach out and schedule a free 15-minute phone call to discuss your goals.

Summer Vacation: How to have fun together when you aren’t used to being together

June is fast approaching and for road warriors with children, that likely means school’s out for summer! While we can all get excited about packing away pencils and notebooks, it also signals a different kind of packing that sounds great on the surface but may cause dread: the family vacation. What I mean is, that week-long trip is the ultimate “re-entry” experience. In my book Super Commuter Couples: Staying Together When A Job Keeps You Apart, I discuss my finding that conflict between these couples happens most often when they are reunited. Routines may have changed while apart, one or both partners may be exhausted, the road warrior may find unplugging to be a challenge, and now you add family travel in the mix and it can be more tears than smiles, but it doesn’t have to be.

  • Discuss. Have a conversation with the whole family about what type of vacation makes sense for your situation right now. A backpack camping adventure in Yosemite might look good on paper, but will all of the research and packing fall to the stay at home spouse? Does your family even like to camp? Plan something that’s right for all of you instead of a “Clark Griswold” vacation, aka well-intentioned, but poorly executed bonding time.
  • Pace yourself. The urge may be “ready, set, go” with an action-packed itinerary but again, is that what you all need? Instead, can you sprinkle in one or two down days where there are options to relax poolside and read or give the road warrior some time to connect with the kids while their spouse has some alone time to get a massage, take a yoga class, or even better, take a nap. A change in the typical parenting dynamic can translate into some quality time and lasting memories for everyone.
  • Stay home. Well, don’t really stay home but instead of a big trip involving flights or long car rides, stay closer to home and take advantage of what your city or state has to offer. This can be especially nice for the road warrior who can feel like a stranger in their own town. This “staycation” could also include a theme night of cooking together and watching a movie related to your meal, camping in the backyard, or simply catching up with neighbors or friends at a more leisurely pace. And don’t forget, a date night!

For road warrior or super commuter families, quality time connecting is important. What has your favorite “summer vacation” been and why?

Therapist, speaker, coach, consultant, and author of Super Commuter Couples

Therapist, speaker, coach, consultant, and author of Super Commuter Couples

Questions? Contact me at info (at) meganbearce.com

Super Commuter Couples: Staying Together When A Job Keeps You Apart can be purchased from your favorite bookseller or for autographed copies, directly from me. A great on-boarding resource, please contact me for bulk order pricing.

 

Call Now Button