9 Tips On How To Work Remote And Travel
By Lead Kinetics3 June 2023
Working from home during the pandemic left a lot of people asking the same question: if I can work from anywhere in my own house, why not from anywhere in the world? For freelance marketers especially, that question isn't hypothetical, remote-first work makes the digital nomad lifestyle genuinely possible, and it raises plenty of its own questions too, some of which we've answered in what people actually ask about life as a digital nomad. Here's what actually makes it work, based on real experience rather than the highlight reel.
Working remotely while travelling comes down to staying communicative with clients, keeping a routine, and being deliberate about the practical details, not just picking an appealing destination.
Stay present and communicative
Working remotely doesn't mean stepping back from your responsibilities to colleagues or clients. Regular check-ins matter more, not less, when you're not in the same room. Video calls, messaging apps and group updates keep everyone confident that a remote arrangement is working, which matters a lot when you want to keep that flexibility long-term.
Build a routine and stick to it
Offices have fixed hours for a reason: routine trains your brain to separate work time from everything else. Without a boss looking over your shoulder, that structure has to come from you. Pick hours that suit your energy, set a clear stop time, and protect it, especially when you're somewhere worth exploring once the laptop closes.
Keep your relationships intact
The people you share an experience with matter more than the destination itself. It's easy to get swept up in new friendships on the road and let the people back home slip, but a quick message on WhatsApp or a regular video call goes a long way. The same applies to the people you meet while travelling: they're often as invested in staying in touch as you are.
Find a coworking space
You don't need one, but it helps. A coworking space gives you a consistent place to work, reliable wifi, and other remote workers around you, which tends to be far more productive than trying to get a full day done in a busy cafe.
Look for remote work communities
Networking matters just as much on the road as it does in an office. LinkedIn, Reddit communities and dedicated Slack groups for remote work are all worth joining, whether you're actively looking for opportunities or just want a wider professional circle.
Pack properly
This isn't a holiday packing list. A laptop sleeve, a proper charger, a wireless mouse, noise-cancelling headphones and a decent power adapter make more difference to how well you can actually work than almost anything else you'll pack.
Cut down on distractions
New places bring new distractions on top of the usual ones. Turning your phone off for an hour at a time sounds drastic, but it's one of the simplest ways to get focused work done when everything around you is competing for your attention.
Use time zones to your advantage
A time difference isn't automatically a problem. Structured well, it can mean a full day's work is already done by the time your team logs on, or vice versa. Tools like World Time Buddy make it easy to plan meetings and deadlines around the gap rather than fighting it.
Set limits on your working hours
Unless there's a genuine deadline that demands it, cap your working day. Burnout doesn't care that you're somewhere beautiful. Make time to actually experience the place you're in, because that's usually the whole point of doing this in the first place, and some of the places that's taken us are worth the effort of getting the work-life balance right.
Freelancing gives marketers the flexibility to build a working life like this, and it's exactly the kind of setup that suits the specialists we work with at Lead Kinetics.
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