Last summer I spent over 6 months working remotely from various Airbnbs, friends apartments, and coffee shops. You name it, I’ve probably done remote work there. After much trial and error, I’ve compiled 4 of my best tips for how to stay productive while working remotely. 

Above all, be sure to give yourself grace as you figure out what works best for yourself and your routine! What worked for me, may not work for you, and vice versa. For additional context, I currently work in accounting and often require at least one extra monitor to get through my Excel spreadsheets. That setup looks a lot different than when I’m on my personal laptop, writing a new blog post or creating my next Instagram Reel!

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1. Unpack right away

Working remotely while traveling can be really hard when you are basically living out of a suitcase for an extended period of time. I always unpacked within the first 24 hours of arriving to a new destination, and set up my workspace. This is helpful, as it helps you feel more settled from the beginning, as you adjust to your new surroundings. 

I personally also find it really easy to get distracted if my home, and especially workspace, isn’t fully set up. If I didn’t unpack right away, I would definitely feel more scattered and unable to focus on work.

2. Minimize clutter

Similar to how unpacking right away helps prevent future distractions, minimizing clutter as you go has the same effect. It is so easy for your brain to get distracted when your workspace is disorganized and/or messy. I am a minimalist at heart, but still seem to accumulate random pens, papers and other small gizmos on my desk. Setting aside 5-10 minutes before you go to bed every night to put away these random items will help you start your next morning strong.

If you rely on these random objects to jog your memory of a to-do item, I suggest using an old-school paper checklist. I have a little notebook by my laptop where I’ll write down random things I need to do as I think of them throughout the day. This helps to track all of my thoughts, while keeping me focused on the current task. It is also really satisfying to later check off items on the to-do list.

3. Maximize mini-breaks

Don’t forget the true purpose of working remotely while traveling! Half the reason you are here is to explore and see your new environment! Take advantage of multiple mini-breaks throughout the day to get out of your Airbnb/hotel/apartment/etc and see the city. I usually like to go for a few 30 minute walks to get fresh air and try to find something new I haven’t seen before.

If you drink coffee or tea in the mornings, you could use your mini-breaks to find a new local coffee shop. Sometimes on my walks I would look for a secluded spot I could come back to to journal or read a book in peace. You could also use these to call your friends and family back home to check in with them and share a travel story!

4. Establish your new routine

This is something I really struggled with when I started traveling and working remotely. I was working across multiple different time zones, and had a hard time finding the right rhythm and schedule for myself. Figuring out what routine works best for you to maximize your productivity will be essential.

For example, if you are a morning person (like me), maybe getting up early and putting in a few hours before going to the gym is a good idea. If you work for a big company or someone else, communicating with your team will be really important too. Make sure the people you work with are aware of your working hours!

For more remote work tips, check out my 5 tips for combining remote work and travel! Any questions or comments? Feel free to drop a message in the comment section below, or send me a DM on Instagram!

💙mariss