Obviously, when we say taking your remote job on the road is fun, we also acknowledge that this new lifestyle will come with a few challenges. Burnout will be a distinct issue, for instance. And if you’re fond of spending more time on social media than you should, remote working may amplify this behavior as well.
So, how can you stay productive, creative, and inspired while working on the road? As a fully-distributed company ourselves, leading work and travel programs, we have a few tips and tricks up our sleeves for how to work from home or abroad.
Key Takeaways
- Start and end your days with a routine, create a to-do list and stick to it
- Communicate with your colleagues, and make sure to lean on them when needed
- know your preferred working style and set ground rules for family and friends
- Tap into the benefits of reliable tech
- Make time for self care and take scheduled breaks to avoid burning out
- Perfect the art of achieving a flow state
1. Create a morning routine
From Buenos Aires to Chiang Mai, we taped our community on how their morning routines have evolved and adapted to the beautiful places they’re working from. Your morning routine can help you wake up and ease you into the new day gently. Here are some tips for a morning routine when remote working from our community;
- Wake up at the same time every day
- Resist the urge to hit snooze
- Don’t go online first thing in the morning unless it’s urgent
- Turn on the lights and open the blinds for natural light
- Drink a glass of water
- Have a few minutes of quiet time to connect with yourself. You can write, meditate, or pray
- Take a walk or do some light yoga to get those endorphins flowing
- Shower and dress up for work
- Have your breakfast
2. Over-Communicate With Your Colleagues
Effective communication is one of the most important tips for working from home or while on the road. Be proactive. Proactive communication is about answering questions before your manager or teammates ask them. It promotes positivity, which leads to building relationships and delivering on objectives.
It’s your job to schedule 1:1 check-in meetings with them weekly to connect on your goals, upcoming projects, and daily tasks.
Make sure to advocate for yourself and clearly state your progress in the past week. Let them know which goals you’ve surpassed and which projects you’ve led. When you’re not in the office, it can be difficult for your manager to keep your work top-of-mind, so don’t be afraid to bring important milestones up on your own.
3. Invest in reliable tech
When you work remotely from home, it’s all down to you to set up a home office that will boost creativity and productivity. This calls for a little bit more creativity if you’re traveling while working.
Access to consistent Wi-Fi will be your first consideration. You also need to plan for tools and tech you’ll need to do your job well. For example, many remote workers invest in a great pair of noise-canceling headphones to take their work anywhere – regardless of background noise levels. Others find that wireless keyboards and mouses, or even a second screen, are integral to their efficiency.
Spending eight hours straight crouched behind a laptop is a recipe for back pain, not success. Get yourself an adjustable desk or a portable desk riser, so you can switch from sitting to standing.
4. Lean on your community
Isolation is one of the main challenges you face as a remote worker. Let’s face it- how do you meet new people when you spend your 1-hour break on Netflix? Unless you make an effort to socialize, the odds are that you won’t.
Left unchecked, loneliness from long-term remote working can impact your physical and mental health, leading to poor performance.
To ensure that you’re feeling supported and connected to the “real world”, we recommend becoming a part of a remote community – virtually or in person at a local coworking space or collective.
We’ve found that being surrounded by others successfully working remotely inspires beginners to stay the course and remain productive while embracing location flexibility.
5. Consider your workspace
Another solution for how to successfully work from home or on the road is working in a workspace that inspires you to focus on the task at hand.
This could mean finding a great coworking space near you, staking out a local coffee shop, or creating a designated spot for work at home. Whatever you do, make sure that you feel motivated by your environment and ready to tackle whatever comes your way.
When designing a personal workspace at home, it’s important to ensure that it offers your ideal noise level. If you prefer working in total silence, you’ll probably want to set your desk in one of the quietest areas around your house or invest in good quality noise-canceling earbuds.
