Traveling while working remotely? Here's how to make the most of your trip without letting work take over your life.
Why it matters: Working remotely from a different time zone can blur the lines between work and personal time. Setting boundaries ensures you enjoy your travel while staying productive.
A personal journey: Lessons from Warsaw
When I first began traveling to Warsaw to open a new office, my workdays truly became marathon sessions:
9 AM: Arrive at the office after breakfast
9 AM – 12 PM: Focus on morning tasks
12 PM – 1 PM: Enjoy lunch with the team
1 PM – 6 PM: Continue working on projects
6 PM – 7 PM: Have an early dinner
8 PM – 11 PM: Attend evening meetings with colleagues back in North America
11 PM – 12:30 AM: Respond to Slack messages and wrap up the day
That's over 15 hours of work-related activities each day! I would do this four days in a row. As you can imagine, this isn’t sustainable. Without setting firm boundaries, it's easy for work to consume your entire day, especially when juggling time zones with a geographically distributed team. I had to get a handle on managing my schedule to prevent burnout and still enjoy the benefits of traveling.
The challenge
Time zone clash: If you work on a distributed team (or, better yet, you’re working substantially different hours from your team than you normally would), you’ll find yourself extending your workday to accommodate regularly timed meetings.
Overlapping commitments: Sightseeing and work responsibilities compete for your attention. There’s a balance, of course, and you’re not taking vacation time for a reason, but you are in a different city/country and there’s a line to balance here.
Risk of overworking: Without boundaries, you might inadvertently work 15-hour days. I speak from experience!
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