What I Would Like to Know Before Working Remotely Around the World
In the last 14 months, I have only been at home two. The other 12 roamed the planet , working on my laptop inTokyo, Hong Kong, Paris, Barcelona and other places . This sounds great and I was certainly privileged to do so, but I quickly realized that while it was rewarding, it was bringing in real, serious mental and physical health problems.
For context, here’s a little background story: I’m a freelancer and I’m fortunate enough to do all my work online . Before that, I only knew big corporate life and never thought that a life without roots is possible or viable. A little over a year ago, I made a leap and realized that I can do what I do, almost anywhere in the world (as long as there is the Internet). So I asked myself why not in Tokyo? And then I left.
In fact, it was not so easy: there were more steps behind the scenes. And it just so happened that my own circumstances were right : I had opportunities for a steady income, but there were no family obligations, dependents, outstanding debt, or anything else that could stop me from taking off at any time. I could have just walked away, but like any path in life, there are ups and downs.
Sleep becomes very subtle, so you need to learn how to sleep anywhere.
We all know how important it is to get enough long and good quality sleep . But reservations from one end of the earth to the other and the constant change of time zone have taken a toll on my sleep quality and schedule. When I went to Paris – the time difference is 9 hours – the change of time zones hit me so hard that I literally slept only once every two days for a week and a half. This is just one example among many, and these little “failures” are surprisingly easy to brush off the adrenaline-fueled rush of travel. In the end, I let this cycle of crappy, disturbed sleep go on for too long, and my body paid for it : I put on a little weight, I got sick three times in a couple of months (compared to just once a few years before). ,) and I just didn’t feel healthy.
The fact that I am lightly asleep does not help. I constantly wake up to use the toilet and the little things make me thrash faster. All of this meant that having to sleep in unfamiliar places, on different surfaces and bedding, and in different climates made it difficult to fall asleep. If all else changes, I realized that I needed certain constants to essentially fool myself to be able to sleep well, consistently, anywhere.
Enter my sleep anywhere kit. Nothing fancy, just three things, but this was a game changer. Basically, I have a sleep mask ( I love this one ), a pack of earplugs, and this podcast that deliberately tells mindless, twisty bedtime stories to keep me asleep . (Of course, I use earplugs or a podcast at the same time.) I try to use them when flying, but unfortunately, I have not yet fully mastered the art of sleeping on airplanes .
The charm of new exotic food makes it easy to overdo it
I am convinced that you will not get a complete travel experience without immersing yourself in the local cuisine and delicacies . Initially, I paid attention to portion sizes, but was less picky about what I ate than before. Ramen Tonkatsu with a perfectly boiled soft-boiled egg in Japan? Hell yes! Fresh baked buttery croissant in Paris? Well, of course. It feels like the possibility of never eating it in this place again makes these things even more compelling. This is fine in the short term, but in the long term? Not so much.
Free food in restaurants two or three times a day is delicious, but it’s also a good way to limit your nutrient diversity. For example, it takes a lot more effort to get enough protein . And in Japan , unless you specifically choose fresh (or pickled) vegetables, it will be difficult to get them. Few restaurants serve any significant amount because they are so expensive.
In addition, my overconfidence further exacerbated my unhealthy eating spiral. I tracked my meals long enough to know that I could make the right choices wherever I was and could go back to the “right diet” whenever I wanted to. At least that’s what I thought. I caught myself thinking, “I’ll be able to get back on track when I get home … eventually,” right before inhaling something delicious.
But this kind of thinking is precisely the counterproductive rationalization that many non-dieting people do. That you can postpone starting a healthy diet until the next day or week when you’re confident that in the future you will have enough willpower to make a real difference. We all know what ‘s really going on most of the time.
In the end, my decision was to go back to basics: put together a more structured meal plan that includes preparing breakfast and lunch meals and allows me to be more flexible about my dinner. When you are traveling, it is not easy. I first needed to make sure I had access to the kitchen, which I usually focus on when choosing where to live , and often had to get creative with the locally available produce in local markets and street vendors. It was a good change when I started, and cooking saved me money anyway.
Changes in the environment negatively impact productivity and make it difficult to maintain routine
When you are in a foreign place, every day a new series of questions arises: what will you eat? (Everyone!) What will you see? (All places!) But how do you get there? Will this coffee shop let me work there? Is there reliable Wi-Fi? All these insecurities seem exciting, but there is a kicker: every unknown variable, every wrench in the job ultimately makes you feel drained or not sure what to do next. In other words, when everything is familiar, you spend less energy on basic things in your daily life. When this is not the case, you will need all the psychological and emotional help you can get.
Being familiar with the environment means that you inevitably fall into a routine that I always took for granted while I was away from it. Without routine, I spent more time thinking about where to buy groceries or if this coffee shop had a suitable workplace for me, and less time thinking about what I want or need to work on, be it health or work.
Even old habits can get lost in a state of change, so it is important to adapt your habits to the environment. In fact, I’ve found that somewhere one routine may not work as well somewhere else. These days, the first thing I do when I arrive at a new destination is spend a full couple of days thinking things through and setting up my routine. Where can I work with reliable Wi-Fi? What do my dishes look like and where can I get them? How convenient is transportation? Where can I train? This initial footwork lays the foundation for all the other habits I create or maintain and helps me focus and get things done.
It’s a lonely road
If you’re unlucky with a vagrant partner, life on the road becomes lonely. Don’t let my Instagram posts mislead you too much: a lot of these photos were taken from crappy selfie rigs. And because I am so often away, I see my parents and people close to me only once or twice in the last year. I have never seen others, but I still communicate on the Internet. This is the beauty of the 21st century.
It pains me to realize that this problem is not unique, and I realize that I decided to do it. So I have to deal with it, but the occasional thought of this compromise was taking its toll on me psychologically.
I have seen other teleworkers in a similar situation deal with loneliness through drugs, alcohol, and excessive partying. As for me, I manage through work, research and fitness wherever I go . I also love sending people postcards because I want them to know that they are on my mind, which makes it easier to feel lonely. And of course, technically, I wasn’t always alone. I was fortunate enough to chat about it with locals and other travelers, chat with friends of friends, and meet alienated family members again. Despite the brevity, these meetings were very helpful and, hey, there is always Facebook.
While it’s easy to fall in love with the idea of working from anywhere and visiting all these exotic places for months, it’s not for everyone, and sometimes I even wonder if it will last for me. However, I continue to do this because I believe it helped me develop humility, discipline, self-esteem and confidence.