How to Deal with Being Away from Your Loved Ones
December 5, 2022
There are many things to love about road life, but being away from loved ones isn’t one of them.
Sure, drivers have the sweet solitude of the open road, the sights of cities they would’ve otherwise never seen, plus the beautiful landscapes of nature for company.
But as Johnny Cash said, “flesh and blood needs flesh and blood.” One of the pitfalls of making your living away from home is being away from its familiar faces.
While you can’t bring them all with you, there are ways to manage this sense of isolation. When handled properly, your temporary time alone may even make your return home to your loved ones much more enjoyable.
4 Steps to Make Trucking Life Feel Less Lonely
You’re setting out on another trip. In order to offset the mental weight of being away from loved ones for so long, try these 4 tips. You may just find that your trip is better all around.
1. Get in the Proper State of Mind
Just as you should check your rig before heading out, you should also make sure your mind is in order. This means preparing yourself to be focused, calm, and resilient during your journey. It also means putting everything in perspective.
The loneliness of trucker life is, like all things, temporary. When you set off and begin to feel that longing for home, remember that your journey and your time away from your loved ones won’t last forever.
When you frame this time in the cab as temporary, you’ll be less likely to lament over being far from home. You may even view your time on the road as a blessing to be enjoyed. Speaking of which…
2. Count Your Blessings
It’s a blessing to be able to make a living doing something you love. For truck drivers and their mental health, there’s almost nothing that helps more than gratitude. When you realize how blessed you are to be in a good field that you enjoy, you can counterbalance any feelings of loneliness.
Once you’ve got a mind that’s focused on gratitude, you’ll reflect that back in every situation. You can be grateful to have a good truck to drive, and a good company behind you.
Even if loneliness does creep back into your thoughts, you can put a positive spin on this too. It’s a good thing to have loved ones to come back to, and it makes all those long hours on the road worth it.
3. Find Companionship Where You Can
Just because you’re living the trucker life doesn’t mean you have to be a hermit. There are many ways you can find companionship on the road.
One way is to bring along a friend or family member. If no one can come, you can put a furry friend in the passenger seat so you have someone to talk to and share the experience with.
For those who don’t have pets, you can always enjoy a familiar voice by listening to the radio, podcasts, or audiobooks. Conversation can also be found with other drivers when you stop for breaks, or even from the people you miss the most.
4. Keep Occupied and Keep in Touch
If none of these tips truly satisfy your need for companionship from your loved ones, you can always call or video chat with them when you’ve geared down for the day.
Touching base a few times throughout your journey can work wonders for a truck driver’s mental health and make home feel closer than it is.
You can also keep occupied through hobbies like reading, exercise, drawing, or anything else that keeps your mind active. The more focused and present you are, the less the loneliness of road life will impact you.
Trucking life has its ups and downs. But if there’s one way to ease the strain of being away from loved ones, it’s to make the trip with a professional family that treats you right. Trans Lines is committed to keeping our drivers happy for their well-being, as well as that of our clients. Reach out to learn more.