How to fit your work around long-term travel – a digital nomad's guide

That feeling when you work on a brief from a chic apartment that features a private pool and a gorgeously dramatic ocean view. You sip iced tea in the shade, knowing that as soon as you are done, you can jump in the cool water. Or go off exploring one of nature’s wonders. And definitely try some amazing local food for every meal of your trip.

But how can you best incorporate fun and a sense of adventure as you work full-time and travel, whilst remaining good at your job? As a digital nomad myself, I am sharing my go-to tips to make the most of your journey and not lose your mind as you navigate job stresses.

Figure out how you can make it happen.

If you are employed full-time and you would like to work remotely during your trip abroad, your boss will need to know where you are for tax and legal reasons. I do not advise suddenly appearing in a tank top in the middle of winter on a work call... Check internal policies and give your manager as much notice as possible to put yourself in a winning position for swift approval. I would suggest at least two months ahead, so you are not rushing around.

If you are a freelancer or have your own business, make sure your clients are aware of your new schedule, should you plan to change anything during your trip.

Personally, to be available online during UK hours when I was in Asia, I simply adjusted my schedule to work the moment I woke up and get as much done as possible. Then I would go and discover the area during the late mornings and be back at work in the afternoon/evening/night during the crossover hours to attend calls and pick up any urgent assignments. This system worked pretty well, but sometimes I did find myself thinking about work throughout the entire day, which was less ideal. A steady wind-down routine before bed, even just half an hour, can really help with falling asleep. For me, it was podcast on, a quick wash, skincare and bed. Maybe it was because I was tired, but I would doze off the moment I closed my eyes.

Once you have the go-ahead from your manager, or your clients know your dates, you can book your getaways strategically. Organise your days off around your travel days, leaving room to explore and relax. Fridays and Mondays are an easy way to stretch a weekend. Study the calendar for public holidays so you can book time off work at the most convenient periods, banking your paid leave around them. Also, use half days to stretch a trip out further.

You might have to maintain the same shift pattern as at home, so remember the time difference. If you go west, you will need to start work earlier, but you will have daylight left at the end of your day. Go east and the opposite happens. I tend to add the scheduled meeting hours to the subject line, ensuring I get the time right as I am switching between time zones. I started this after being an hour late to brunch with my friends in London, having saved the event in my calendar while I was in California. To this day, I have no idea what happened there.

Set yourself up for success and limit stress where you can.

Be realistic about how much time you truly have available to work and travel. Going on a one-off six-hour safari jeep excursion starting at 5am and then logging on at 2pm to start your working day will be fine, but you probably will not be able to keep up this pace 24/7. Plan your trips well, allocating more time for the unexpected in case transport is delayed and allowing yourself a breather before you log on.

It might be useful to include your working hours (if they are different from usual) in your status on Teams/Slack and in your email signature, so your colleagues and clients have a clear point of reference for when they can expect a response from you.

When you book your accommodation, check whether it rates highly for internet speed. Have a couple of SIM card options too, in case one network lets you down.

Buy a good-quality power bank that can fully charge your laptop, and keep it topped up in case there is a power cut or the sockets are slow-charging. Sometimes, the wiring can be dodgy, so having a reliable plug adapter that protects your electronics will come in handy.

Noise-cancelling headphones will become your secret weapon. I use them whenever I need to focus deeply in a loud environment.

Prepare to be a bit uncomfortable occasionally, as you might not get the proper ergonomic work set-up you are used to at home. I would advise you to always sit at a table when you work on your laptop, even if it means working in the communal areas of your hotel or a café. Your back might not be able to take it long term, especially if you are carrying a heavy backpack as you move between places. Give your spine a rest and you will thank yourself later.

Adjust your mindset to your new reality.

Time in transit is a fantastic opportunity to work. All the waiting around and long coach journeys are the perfect conditions to get the bulk of a project done. Download all organisational and work apps onto your phone beforehand so you can just jump in and out when you have a spare moment. I tend to tackle some writing, planning and email admin as I am on the move.

Schedule your messages and emails so that they go out right before people log on. Working late or early, depending on where I was in the world, meant I would accumulate plenty of updates, and sending them as they came did not work very well. I ended up editing myself constantly or double-messaging, giving off chaotic cat energy. Instead, when my team slept, I started to collect my thoughts in a draft email, which I would set to arrive in their inboxes for their morning as one actionable, easy-to-read note.

Learn to prioritise well and simply accept that you will not be able to see and do everything all at once. Get the most important tasks completed first and alternate between quick and long ones to move things forward. Sharing a timeline with people so they know when they can expect things to be completed is helpful and will take some pressure off if you receive a lot of messages. In the long term, try to plan main excursions and activities around holidays and weekends to avoid burnout, and do not force it if you feel spent. It is perfectly okay to just have a day to do your job, get some food and rest.

Some of the sacrifices will be hard. I had to pause a few of my hobbies. Between work, transit and sleep, there was not much time to do anything else. I love watching films, so I missed the comfort of curling up on the sofa and losing myself in a story every now and then. I also skipped a workout or two every week, and I had to be okay with that. Most of my movement came from walking around and exploring, which was nice. Whatever it is you are used to doing regularly, you will probably do less of it.

I have already written a blog post, A Woman's Essential Packing List for Long-Term Travelling: Hot Countries Edition, which I think you will find helpful. The key items to bring that I would call out specifically to ease your working nomad lifestyle are a laptop, phone, power bank, plug adapter, charging cables and headphones. I did pack a laptop stand, keyboard and mouse, but I did not end up using them often enough to justify taking them with me next time.

Enjoy your adventure for what it is and try not to be too rigid. You can always catch up on everything later. Have fun! 💚