How to Balance Travel and Remote Work

Finding a work-life balance may be a tricky ideal to maintain- but when your work is done remotely and your lifestyle leads you all over the world, that balance can be even more challenging to achieve. Having lived as a full-time traveler and freelancer for the last seven years, I’ve found these nine tips have helped me find a balance between enjoying my time traveling and still producing great work for my clients.

1. Don’t rush

Planning and traveling between places too quickly can take up too much of your time and can distract you from your work. Giving yourself more time can allow you to get to know a place better and live like a local, all while producing great work. Slow travel also gives you the ability to settle down and focus without having to plan your next move, pick up, and relocate too often. For extended stays, you can also take advantage of weekly or monthly discounts on accommodations, rentals, or workplace memberships, and save a considerable amount of money.

2. Create a budget and stick to it

It can be easy to overspend while traveling when you have a “you only live once” mindset, but if it concerns your income and livelihood, it’s better to be responsible. Creating a budget doesn’t necessarily mean you have to cut costs and live cheaply- all it means is that you should be aware of your habits and keep track of your spending so you are not caught off guard, especially while traveling abroad. If you know you like to splurge on once-in-a-lifetime opportunities while traveling, be sure to take that into account when creating a budget, and be sure to also set aside extra savings in case you need it for an emergency.

3. Embrace living like a local

Because traveling while working remotely isn’t the same as traveling for a vacation, you will have to take care of your routine “maintenance” while living abroad- this includes things like doing laundry, getting haircuts, shopping for personal hygiene products and household goods, and purchasing and servicing a local data plan. Though these tasks may seem mundane in your normal life back at home, taking care of them in another country can be a challenging, yet valuable, experience. Embrace these challenges and you will be well on your way to living like a local. Similarly, sampling local cuisines at the markets, going to the grocery store, and cooking for yourself is a practical and cost-effective way to enrich your experience while abroad, rather than spending money dining out every day and night.

4. Choose a travel medical insurance plan

Knowing that you’re covered in case you get sick or injured while abroad is essential to being able to enjoy your time to the fullest. I have been a subscriber to a travel medical insurance plan from SafetyWing for a few years, and am happy with the experience so far. The peace of mind that comes from having reliable insurance coverage is definitely worth the expense. An insurance policy from SafetyWing covers a wide range of situations that may happen while you’re abroad, and in some instances also covers you for a specific period of time for your visits back home. A full description of coverage can be found on their website here, and a big benefit is that it satisfies requirements for medical insurance when applying for international visas.

5. Make a list and plan ahead for your must-do experiences

Don’t let time pass you by without doing the things you always dreamed of doing while traveling. Especially when you are planning to be in a destination for several months, it’s easy to feel like you will have plenty of time to do everything you’ve wanted to do. However, time tends to quickly fill itself up if you aren’t proactive about making plans and booking experiences. You’ll be feeling regretful if several months pass, you didn’t get to do the things you wanted, you’re getting ready to leave, and you’re wondering where the time went.

6. Keep a daily and weekly schedule

Stay focused and on top of your work by structuring your days and weeks. By defining the amount of time you need to work and keeping track of your deadlines, you can also block off time to explore without feeling stressed. Remember it’s also important to schedule time for self-care and for exercise, because doing so will prevent you from burning out and will make you a more productive worker.

7. Let yourself take time off

It can be easy to forget the importance of time spent “out-of-office” if you are never in an office. Especially if you work remotely as a freelancer or as the owner of your own business, you can sometimes feel as though you are only as productive as the time you put in work. Remember that one of the reasons you chose to work remotely was for flexibility, and that your hard work deserves a vacation every once in a while. Although its undoubtedly exciting, traveling full time can be tiring. To be a productive worker, it’s smart to give yourself time to rest, refresh, and reset.

8. Work ahead of schedule

Giving yourself plenty of time to work ahead of your deadlines will alleviate a considerable amount of stress, especially while traveling. The factor with the most influence on how you remember a trip is how you felt and your mood while traveling, and being stressed about work or deadlines can take all the enjoyment out of your travel experience. Working ahead of schedule is also especially important for someone working remotely because you can give yourself more time to handle unexpected hiccups that tend occur while traveling, like having to replace electronics or having to sit on the tarmac due to a delayed flight.

9. Stay social

Whether it’s by making new friends, staying in touch with old friends, or sharing your experience on social media or a blog, having a constant human connection can keep you from feeling lonely or lost on your remote work journey. Traveling and working remotely are each adventures that inspire a lot of personal growth, and finding the balance between the two is a doubly inspiring experience that should be shared.

Do you travel and work remotely? What tips have you found to be useful to find balance in your life? Let me know below in the comments!