Boosting Productivity on the Go: 12 Tips for Remote Work While Traveling

The right mood

When we arrive in a new place, we habitually switch on “tourist mode”. The brain goes into a special state where we lose track of time and get into unrestrained relaxation and exploration of new territories. It is challenging to keep the working mood in such a state. As a result, we fall out of the work schedule and miss important deadlines or online meetings. Traveling can turn out to be stressful and hectic, especially when trying to maintain work commitments.

To combine quality rest with productive work, remember the main rule of a tourist in a remote location - do not treat the trip as a journey. That is, it is important to learn how to maintain a balance between work and rest so that one does not harm the other. Maintaining a healthy work life balance is essential for sustaining both productivity and enjoyment while traveling. A few tricks will help you not lose your work mindset.

Adjust to the time zone at once

Physical condition is what primarily affects our performance. Therefore, take care in advance to quickly adjust to a different time. For example, get tickets to arrive at your destination in the evening. Then it will be light all the way, and easier not to fall asleep, helping you to go to bed and wake up according to the local time.

Adhere to the sleep and nutrition regimen

When traveling and working remotely, going to bed at the same time is imperative. Stick to your normal sleep schedule and opt for lighter meals to ease your body into the new environment.

Keep the usual routine

It’s important to stick to your daily habits when traveling. This could be morning exercise and coffee, meditation, or journaling - things you do daily at home. This will remind you that you are not an idle traveler but a regular person who is just “living life” in different places. Maintaining routines is especially crucial for those embracing the nomad lifestyle, as it helps balance travel experiences with productivity and responsibilities.

Go for a hiking activity

Traveling to different countries means new towns, mountains, and hiking trips. Hiking is not only a means of physical exertion but also a powerful tool for improving physical and mental health.

Hiking not only supports physical and mental health but also boosts creativity through exposure to nature. Every country has “health trails”. You can choose routes of varying lengths, ranging from shorter walks to demanding weekend routes. This allows you to organize hikes depending on your schedule and physical fitness. Regardless of the route you choose, you will receive many benefits for your health and well-being.

You can contact a trekking company Bookatrekking.com, where experts will thoroughly prepare the entire route for you. They can write down where you can be at what time, where you can find connection and internet, etc.

Bookatrekking offers ready-made travel itineraries, allowing remote workers to calculate their time, make a work schedule, etc. With such an approach, you can plan your day in advance, identify mandatory tasks, and allocate enough time to work.

Choose accommodation with a kitchen

Try to pick an apartment with the ability to cook your own food. In the first instance, this will help reduce the temptation to constantly go out to restaurants or cafes. Secondly, it will also keep you in a more balanced and focussed mood, which will help you to work more effectively.

Follow the schedule of the working day

Time management for remote workers is crucial when combining travel and work. Do not rely on chance and hope that you will have time to work “somewhere on the way to the museum or at lunch in a coastal cafe”.

This is especially true if you are planning a hike in the mountains. Suppose you are going on a climbing trip. You must think about everything beforehand and understand how to combine work with a hike.

Using remote work tools like appointment scheduling software can help structure your day and avoid last-minute chaos when abroad.

Work first - then impressions

Planning your work for the first half of the day is advisable. After all, when you are in a new country, your days are filled with excitement and activities. If you live a “tourist” lifestyle, you can run out of energy by the end of the day, and fatigue accumulates. Therefore, there is a danger that if you postpone important tasks to the evening, you risk not getting to them. It is better to build a schedule so that you finish all your work before lunch and then calmly, and with a sense of accomplishment, enjoy a foreign country and even chill out on the beach.

For example, during a typical week, you can dedicate your mornings to work and reserve your afternoons and evenings for exploring the city, sightseeing, or relaxing, ensuring a balanced approach to both productivity and travel.

Organize your workplace

All remote workers have long understood that it is necessary to allocate a specific place in the room for productive remote work. When traveling, this rule is no less relevant. Choose and optimize a dedicated workspace setup as soon as you move in to stay productive. If you are traveling with companions, talk to them in advance about the condition: you will need to allocate time and space for work. The best option is to choose accommodation with a separate room where you will not be distracted. If your accommodation is not suitable for focused work, having access to a co working space can be a valuable backup option to maintain productivity.

Take care of the availability of a reliable internet connection

Remote work most often implies the need to constantly connect to the Internet. This is usually taken for granted when you’re at home. But when traveling, it is essential to plan in advance. A reliable internet connection is crucial for remote work, so always check the quality of the internet connection at your accommodation. Running a speed test before booking can help ensure the internet meets your needs. Staying connected is important to maintain productivity and communication. To ensure continuous connectivity, bring the right gear such as a travel router or mobile hotspot as backup options. When choosing accommodation, confirm you’ll have reliable internet for remote work to connect with your team, meet deadlines, and stay productive.

When we arrive in a new country, we may need the services of different tradespeople. Find the nearest hairdresser, store, cheap restaurant, dry cleaner, etc. It is desirable to prepare for the trip in advance and make a list of such places and specialists so as not to spend time and effort searching for them later.

Set aside time for traveling

As a rule, it is very difficult to work while traveling from one place to another. This is often due to poor internet, especially when it comes to trains or planes. The time spent traveling between locations can significantly impact your work schedule, so it should be minimized through careful planning. Therefore, be prepared for the fact that you will fall out of schedule while traveling. It’s better to consider this at the stage of buying tickets and focus not only on their price but also on your schedule and how comfortably the move fits with it.

For example, if you have an online work meeting scheduled, you shouldn’t schedule flights or relocations for that day. Try to organize your travel so that you have at least two days in one place without leaving or arriving for quiet work and exploring the country.

If your remote work involves client appointments or time-sensitive tasks, consider using a tool like TIMIFY’s booking tool to manage meetings efficiently and avoid overlaps during travel.

Be prepared for the unexpected

Force majeure and surprises when traveling happen much more often than in normal life. It is unlikely to work out perfectly the first time, so it’s better not  to fly off to the other side of the world for your first attempt at combining travel and remote work. It’s better to go somewhere where you’ve been before and know your way around. Practice, analyze your experience, and figure out what makes you feel more comfortable when organizing the process. Each trip can give you a new idea for improving your remote work and travel routine. This way, your enjoyment of the trip will only grow each time, and your productivity will be maintained.