How to Stay Productive While Working From Different Places

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The most reliable way to stay productive while working on the move is to fix a few things before you chase anything else: a daily plan with two or three real priorities, a backup for your internet, a workspace that lets you sit properly, and set hours that others can count on. Everything else is detail around those four.

What should I decide before the workday starts?

Pick the two or three tasks that would make the day a success, and write them down the evening before. A long list feels productive but hides what matters. When your surroundings change every few weeks, a short list is the one thing that stays the same.

Then block the hours when you will do focused work, and put the sightseeing, errands and calls around them. If you work with clients in other time zones, check the overlap hours first and build the rest of the day around them.

How do I keep my internet from ruining a deadline?

Assume the connection will fail at the worst moment and plan for it. Before you arrive somewhere new, find out what the Wi-Fi is like at your accommodation and at one or two nearby cafes or coworking spaces. Keep a phone hotspot or a local data plan as a second route.

• Download the files and documents you need for the day while you are on a good connection.
• Know where the nearest coworking space is and whether it sells day passes.
• Keep deadline-critical work for the hours when you are somewhere reliable.

Our guide to fixing unreliable Wi-Fi as a remote worker goes through the backup options in more detail.

What does a workable temporary workspace look like?

Working from a bed or sofa is fine for an hour, not for a full day. Look for a table and a chair where you can sit with your feet on the floor, your forearms roughly level with the keyboard, and the top of the screen near eye level. These are the basics of a computer workstation setup described by OSHA's computer workstations guidance.

A laptop stand and a separate keyboard make a big difference, because they let you raise the screen without lifting your hands with it. Both pack flat. If you are building a kit, this portable home office kit lists what is worth carrying.

If something hurts regularly while you work, such as your wrists, neck or back, change the setup and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist rather than pushing through.

How do I protect focus when everything around me is new?

Novelty is the enemy of deep work, so reduce the number of decisions you make during working hours.

• Work in timed blocks. A common method is 25 minutes of work followed by a 5 minute break. It is a habit tool, not a rule, so lengthen the blocks if you work better that way.
• Do one thing at a time. Switching between email, chat and a document makes each of them slower.
• Silence what you can. Turn off non-urgent notifications during blocks and close tabs that are not part of the task.
• Tell people when you are reachable. A status message such as "heads-down until 2 pm, replying after" prevents interruptions.

Does a routine really matter when I move often?

Yes, because it is the part of your life you can carry with you. You cannot control the room, the noise or the neighbourhood, but you can keep the same start time, the same first task and the same finish time. Sleep and regular meals are the base of that, and they are the first things to slip when you arrive somewhere exciting.

Movement counts too. The World Health Organization's physical activity fact sheet recommends that adults do at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week. A walk between work blocks is an easy way to build that in, and it gives you a reason to see the place you are in.

How should I communicate with clients and teammates?

Remote work runs on clear expectations. Say which hours you are online, how fast you normally reply, and how to reach you if something is urgent. Tell people ahead of time when you will be travelling or offline, for example on a travel day, rather than letting them find out when a message goes unanswered.

Prefer writing for anything that needs a record, and keep video calls for conversations that need back and forth. Send a short end-of-day note when you work across time zones so people wake up to progress rather than questions.

How do I avoid burning out while I travel and work?

Travel feels like a holiday, and work does not stop, so it is easy to do both badly. Decide in advance how many days a week are working days and how many are free, and protect both. Fewer, longer stays make this easier than moving every few days, since every move costs a day or two of reduced output.

Loneliness is another cost people underestimate. Working from a coworking space for part of the week gives you a routine and other people to talk to. Our post on finding community through meetups while travelling covers other ways to meet people.

Which tools actually help?

You need very few. One task manager, a calendar, a notes app and cloud storage cover most needs. Pick tools you will open every day and ignore the rest. A simple spreadsheet for tracking income and expenses is enough for most freelancers.

If you want hardware ideas, there is a collection of gadgets for digital nomads at Mavigadget.

A simple checklist for each new place

1. Check the internet at your accommodation and note a backup option.
2. Find a table and chair you can work at, or a coworking space nearby.
3. Write your working hours and share them with the people who depend on you.
4. Choose your top two or three tasks each evening for the next day.
5. Plan one outing or walk so the place does not pass you by.

Productivity on the road comes from a small number of habits repeated in different places, not from a perfect setup. Start with the checklist above and adjust it after your first week in each new location.