Travel is supposed to be something you look forward to, not something you dread because of the before and after, yet it can feel stressful when you think about what might fall behind while you’re gone. Let’s walk through practical strategies to help you plan to be away without sacrificing your sanity—from setting up a “while I’m away” plan to using your planner for buffer days, setting expectations with others, and prepping your business so it keeps running. Planning to be away is not a hard task, but it can be mandatory to help you be present in the moment for your personal life, work life or small business. 

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Creating a “While I’m Away” Plan

The first step to planning to be away is to list everything you need to take care of in your absence. This can go right into a dedicated journal page or notes insert. It might be helpful to use a Trigger List to help jog your mind about things that might be out of sight, but definitely shouldn’t be out of mind when it comes to being away. You can grab a copy of my Personal Trigger List right here: 

To help get you started, here is a list of the most common planning needs: 

• Essential tasks: Pet care, mail pickup, bill payments.
• Emergency contacts: Neighbors, family, business partners.
• Delegated responsibilities: Who will handle the plants? The kids’ activities? Work emails?
• Tasks that can wait: Be honest about what truly needs doing and what can pause until you return.
• Instructions for others: Clear, simple notes for babysitters, family members, or colleagues.

Pro Tip: Keep this list simple and use checkboxes in your planner so you can see progress at a glance.

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Using Your Planner to Time-Block Buffer Days

One of the easiest ways for planning to be away is to make travel less stressful by planning extra margins. What is margin exactly? It is an opportunity for you to have time before and after you leave to accomplish what needs to be done (and not just hours before, but a fair amount of time). What happens if something falls through last minute? Make sure you give yourself ample time to handle these situations. 

• The day before leaving: Block off time in your planner for last-minute errands, packing, or just to take a breath. Avoid scheduling meetings or major to-do items.
• The day after returning: Give yourself grace. Don’t book back-to-back obligations. Use this day to unpack, do laundry, review your inbox, and ease back into work or home routines.

This built-in breathing room means you’re not sprinting out the door or crashing back into your life feeling behind. Also, planes get delayed, and travel itineraries may change, leave yourself room when you get home to catch your breath (and get caught up on laundry – that’s always my big issue). 

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Setting Expectations with Family or Clients

Nobody likes surprises when it comes to someone disappearing without notice. Make sure that while planning to be away you are communicating with those that need to know at least the basics, family, co-workers, or clients. Use these tips to manage expectations:

• Communicate clearly with family members about what you’ll need them to cover and when you’ll be reachable. Give them travel itineraries and phone numbers of where you will be just in case. 
• Notify clients well in advance of your away dates, and clarify what you’ll be able to respond to while gone.
• Set up out-of-office messages for email, social media, or voicemail. Include return dates and alternative contacts if appropriate.

Setting these expectations upfront can prevent last-minute stress and ensure everyone knows what to expect.

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Business Sprinkle: Batch Work, Pre-Schedule, Automate

For entrepreneurs and business owners, being away doesn’t have to mean everything grinds to a halt. When we take time in our planning to be away, we can set up our businesses to move without us being there to manage every waking minute. Here are some helpful tips to start prepping for now, so that you are “active” in your business, even if you aren’t sitting right in front of the computer. 

• Batch your work before you leave: Record videos, write blog posts, or create graphics ahead of time. If you incorporate a brain dump of all of the things that you might need to do for your business (think routine tasks), you can plan ahead and accomplish many of these tasks ahead of time. 
• Pre-schedule social media posts using scheduling tools, such as Facebook Native scheduler, or business likes Cinch Share or Post My Party, you can show up online and your presence stays consistent.
• Automate where you can: Email responders, invoicing, or order confirmations can all run without you.

Even if you can’t prepare for every possibility, these steps can keep your business running smoothly so you can truly take time away.

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Applying Planning to Your Life

This is where it gets personal. Use these planner ideas to make travel smoother:

Conference Prep Checklist

If you’re heading to a work event or conference, dedicate a planner spread to:

• Travel and lodging details
• Packing list (tech, business cards, notebooks)
• Agenda or session schedule
• Networking goals or people to meet

Notes Pages for Things to Remember

Before leaving, write down:

• Must-do errands (return library books, stop the mail)
• Last-minute shopping or packing reminders
• Home prep tasks (clean out the fridge, take out trash)

Travel Itinerary in Your Planner

Create a simple travel section with:

• Flight or train times and confirmation numbers
• Hotel addresses and contact info
• Daily plans or sightseeing ideas

This reduces the mental load during travel and keeps everything accessible in one place.

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Conclusion

Planning to be away doesn’t have to feel like an impossible puzzle. By creating a “while I’m away” plan, using buffer days, setting expectations, and prepping your business in advance, you can travel with genuine peace of mind. Grab your planner and start mapping it out today—so you can enjoy your time away and return home ready to jump back in without feeling behind.