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Iโm recovering from a stomach bug so caffeine and sugar, the two staples of late night development, are off the menu. As a result Iโm finding it quite hard to get motivated!
Does anyone have some alternative techniques to wake my brain up and plug me in?
Currently Iโm indulging in music but itโs not having quite the same effect as the killer combo of coffee/music/chocolate 
Iโll second the Girl Talk recommendation. 
Also, I find that taking Korean Ginseng will get me very pumped and focused - sometimes tooooooo much if i take it too late in the afternoon, I canโt sleep.
If you can get through 2 or 3 weeks of caffeine withdrawals, your energy levels actually return to normal. When you start drinking coffee, you get tons of energy, but then as you get addicted, you end up back at base level, and feel tired due to withdrawals (ever drink a coffee right before bed and wake up feeling like you donโt need one?) So if you suffer it out for a few weeks, youโll see that you had as much energy naturally as you did with your morning cuppa joe. This is true of all addictive substances! If youโre a smoker, youโll remember the crazy headrush in the beginning, and now itโs just to feel normal because of the withdrawals/cravings. 
On the music side of flow, Iโve found that fast paced electronic music without vocals helps keep me in the zone. Over the years Iโve built a playlist of about 700 songs I find ideal for working to:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/syneryder/playlist/5YpeoHyEHG7ttNgvzAkW72
Rdio: http://www.rdio.com/people/syneryder/playlists/598011/Music_For_Coding_To/
I try to play the same first few songs every time I start to work, it acts as a Pavlovian cue to start workingโฆ to the point where Iโve heard some of those songs in public and felt an urge to begin work.
I quit caffeine for a long time (7 years?), but I donโt feel I saw any benefits besides making it easier to wake up in the morning. I think going without caffeine is overrated. I really enjoy my coffee & mochas & cola & Club Mate.
Nice playlist! I use music in the same way and especially like D&B for working.
Iโve found one of the biggest helps for me is to get strict about distractions.
If youโre able to work offline (which you may or may not be, depending on what youโre working on), that is a good start. I blocked my facebook so I wouldnโt be tempted to get out of the zone. Close whatever your email client is. Log off slack/hip chat for a little while.
From what Iโve read in books like โPeoplewareโ it usually takes 15 minutes or so of concentrating before you really hit a state of โflow.โ Nothing kills that like messages popping up all over the place or just taking a โquick lookโ at twitter.
@gneflow Cheers, that is one of the tough things about the modern work environment - multiple browser tabs all vying for my attention (code preview, timesheets, Trello, various documentation). Perhaps there is a tab management plugin that can help me. I agree that it takes a while of stabbing away before the barriers melt and the code flows. Sometimes I have to force myself through this phase to get to the actually-I-really-love-it part!
@syneryder I agree, Iโm a longtime fan of fast paced electronic music without vocals. Funny that youโve programmed yourself with musical cues, I might try that! It reminds me of those spy movies where a public phone booth would ring and some random dude would answer it then go and undertake a high profile assassination attempt. I definitely think that one can consume too much coffee and degrade sleep quality, but Iโve been healthy and unhealthy over the years, and neither state seems more conducive than the other for getting the work done! Also, Iโm sure that there are plenty of things worse for you than coffee, e.g daily bombardment by WiFi, Bluetooth and mass produced pop musicโฆ
@lucha54 The trouble is that I think I just have an addictive personality. I can give up one thing but then I just replace it with something else!
Music can work. Girl Talk - All Day is kind of famous for being really great for upping your productivity while working. I was skeptical, but it certainly works for me. Itโs hard to explain, but just give it a go 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWzkK7tUjaU
Also plus one for Self Control and regular breaks
Cheers lasmit. Self control isnโt really my forte so thank goodness for invasive software! I have a phone full of music snob music that is a necessary requirement before any work can start - usually music without lyrics is best for me, including regular breaks
Have you ever thought of finding a Health Coach? They typically work on problems just like this (removing caffeine from diet and how to compensate on the job). I had a hard time quitting caffeine / coffee a few years ago, but I am in my 30s and I typically have more energy and focus than I did drinking coffee everyday in my 20s.
Regularity is key, and balance is key. Always prioritize rest and sleep, and dont sacrifice on your sleep ever. Diet also plays a huge role, eating a diet packed with fresh organic vegetables, and a balance of macro-nutrients relative to your lifestyle is going to affect your energy levels and ability to focus greatly. We programmers tend to need more carbohydrates for brain fuel than lets say, professional power lifters, though it should not come in the form of junk food or refined wheat/flour, but in the form of whole grains like sorghum, barley, buckwheat, unrefined rice, millet, and quinoa. Then you need ample exercise, something that gets blood flowing throughout your body for a minimum of 20 minutes a day (for most of the days of the week). Running makes ticking this requirement off easy, but also some mixup of bodyweight exercises, or some internal arts like yoga, kung fu, or tai chi. The important thing is to use your body well, and dont confine it to long sessions in a chair. I find that jogging regularly really helps me think clear and focused.
Lately I have fallen in love with the Pomodoro technique (wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique). The short version is you work in 25 minute blocks, then get up and move around for 3-5 minutes in between. As a software dev, this drove me nuts at first, as I wanted large uninterrupted blocks of sitting to get more code out. After I disciplined myself and followed this technique, I found that my focus sustained far longer, and I actually enjoyed working longer hours, and all around felt more clear and mentally focused in other areas of life. Plus it allowed me more mental focus for non work things, like relationships, chores, or other life-maintenance tasks. I use a service called Kanban Flow (free), but there are a lot of project/time management services which have Pomodoro techniques built in.
Again, I seriously recommend finding a Health Coach that works via remote / internet to help with caffeine addiction. Coffee is a powerfully addictive substance and leads to a condition known as adrenal fatigue, and if you are not knowledgeable of adrenal fatigue, you can suffer from it chronically without knowing it (most of the developed world does). It ages a person quickly, and leads to chronic lack of focus, will, and energy, and gets worse with age, and the symptoms are only temporarily alleviated with more caffeine. Having a trained professional assist with diet and lifestyle changes can only help. I have worked with remote health coaches out of New Zealand and America, and could recommend some I like to you.
All in all, just find balance between rest, diet, and exercise, and know that caffeineโs effects are subtle, insidious, and strong, and that it will take weeks, perhaps a month, before natural focus and will flow (if you are recovering from a daily caffeine habit). The first week is the worst! It does get better over time. Good luck!
Hey stratigos, no I havenโt - TBH I never took my problem that seriously! I actually havenโt drunken much caffeine/coffee at all since I left my old life and its daily coffee binges 8 weeks ago (probably more vodka, but thatโs another story). Itโs really just been night times over the last few weeks while Iโve been struggling to do some coding work. Maybe this signals a bigger problem - i.e that Iโm just super lazy!! I know that Iโm supposed to live a balanced life, but Iโm really a night owl, and I figure that 42 is too old to be thinking about changing my spots rather than wearing them with pride. Since writing this post I have found it easier to knuckle down though (hence being much quieter on this forum) - I think busier days and looming deadlines are pretty effective motivators for me. 
Ice water, fruit juice, and exercise does it for me.
Thanks, yes I like exercise too - but I find that really unappealing here in smogville (Ulaanbaatar). Cold drinks are great, maybe thatโs part of the appeal of Coke/Red Bull/V, aside from the heavy marketing and temporary sugar rush.
Sleep deprivation doesnt work for me as much as it did when I was younger. I was about a half-hour/hr away from finishing up a project last night to be submitted today and noticed my output quality seriously going into the shitter unless I got some rest. Adrenaline maybe kept me going an extra 2-4 hrs but has diminishing returns with age. Those 48-72 hr straight days started going poof for me from 26 onwards lol
This is all with 0 caffeine involved. Iโm one of those rare devs who arenโt just a machine that processes coffee into code though. Thinking I should give it another shot after writing this now.
Wow, 72 hour days! Iโm jealous - I didnโt start development until I was almost 30, and at the time I was impressed if I could do half of that.
Iโm already feeling the lack of sleep from last night. Itโs hard when you canโt just prop yourself up on caffeine! Hopefully Iโll be good to get back on the bandwagon in the next day or so
LOL yeahโฆ the whole hackathon culture and all that. You can see why SV has ageism for a reason.
But ultimately thats pretty false and unsustainable. You can get a lot of โinspired prototypingโ that way espec from kids but mature, usable stuff comes from mature usable practices to say the least.
I donโt drink coffee/tea/anything caffeinated, this routine is my substitute. The goal is to remove blocks, distractions, and things that slow you down. Those are different for each person I think.
Full glass of water first thing out of bed. Kind of makes you want to throw up when you drink it but feels awesome for the next hour. Strenuous exercise for 26 minutes (running/anything not involving intense pressure on your spine). 4m of stretching. Medium-temperature shower. Eggs & banana & oatmeal for breakfast. Read a few pages from an informational/non-fiction book. Block all social media and anything not work-related using SelfRestraint (if on Windows) or SelfControl (if on Mac). Put your productivity song on Repeat One. Jam for an hour and a half. Take a 15m break, respond to email and socials. Next productivity song on Repeat One, repeat cycle until youโre happy with what youโve done with the day.
Thanks for your reply - yes I agree that it is a very personal thing. I admire your healthy routine though!
I actually worked quite late last night after installing SelfControl (thanks) - I think that sleep deprivation actually works quite well for me, maybe it boosts the adrenalin which in turn helps me focus.
Cheers.
I am planning to travel to Mexico City next weekend and stay for 7-10 days there. I wonder if cafes, stores and other places like these work? And if cafes work, do they work as usual or only for take away&delivery? Will be very thankful if someone can help here.
Hi, I've got a question to anyone who had experience with the digital nomad lifestyle. I'm 24, I'm in my last year of university doing computer science, got 3 years of experience mostly doing web development.
I never liked the idea of staying in one place, getting a job and growing roots - hence the will to take the opportunity and travel the world. My main question is โ how do I go about it? Are there any useful resources I could look into?
How do I go about insurance and such once I decide to move. I currently live in Switzerland and do freelance work for one company. It's not a lot, since my studies don't allow me to pick up a full time job, but it allows me to cover simple expenses.
I'd be happy to get some insight into how things work and also happy to network with anyone interested.
How to learn a language without taking a formal class, while traveling in different countries?
What advice can you give me?
Background:
Iโm an EU national IT specialist, recently decided to become a digital nomad. I just left my permanent job in Germany and opened a UK based LTD (for a better taxation) to start a new career as remote working IT contractor. I also want to become a UK resident and pay personal income tax there BUT I donโt want to rent/buy a place because I have no interest in physically living in the UK, as a nomad I will be traveling abroad 100% of the time.
So I just need a UK address where Iโm registered as a resident and could receive mail, but I would never actually be there. I could rent a place and keep it empty but that would be a total waste of money.
Question:
How do I find somebody who could give me an official residence at his/her address and keep my name on the door? Iโm ok with paying a reasonable monthly fee for this โserviceโ (but not as high as a rent), and give assurance in whatever form that I will never pretend to physically live there. I have no close friends in the UK to ask for this favor, and trying to propose this to a random landlord would be just weird since they are not familiar with the needs of a digital nomad.
Maybe you guys can suggest me somebody who understand the situation and want to make some extra cash every month to pay the bills? Iโm ready to meet in person, provide full proof of identity or any other document, and to make a written agreement that gives the landlord the freedom to cancel this โsituationโ at any time.
Note:
This is NOT for tax evasion, itโs the opposite! I WANT to pay full tax as UK resident, I just donโt want to waste money on a rent which I will literally never use.
I would be very grateful for any advice!
Pavel
Daily/hourly pass needed.
Canโt work in normal cafรฉ because having clientโs laptop for security reasons, canโt use open networks. Working for R&D. Also laptop is so huge it doesnโt fit normal cafe environment because itโs far from discreet.
For those constrained by their businessโ time zone, how do you manage this?
My home office is in Los Angeles โ though I could swing anything in Central/South America, Iโm looking at going to Lisbon or Chiang Mai for a bit. Both of them are >=8hrs difference potentially wreaking havoc on the work + social life + sleep split. This is a common question for nomads but there doesnโt seem to be a lot of posting on the site about it.
What do you guys think? Any Americans working in Asia or Europe that does it well? I could likely negotiate with my supervisor to work in Eastern standard if I was in Lisbon/Europe, which wouldnโt be too much of a stretch. Noon 'til 8pm. A bit more manageable than Chiang Mai or Bali.
I am soon to find out one way or another as I will leave my residency to become a nomad myself. I have not found a good solution for Bali or Asian countries on the internet.
I read our existing Nomadlist posts under Money tag. Money handling and charges around accessing it seem to be a big issue for nomads, soon my issue. As a post I read said, accessing money for a Nomad can be harder than making money. I am more worried about accessing money than having some.
Iโll use Transferwise Borderless account to keep my day to day living money. I am opening a Pte Ltd corporate, that only goes for business-related expenses.
My Canadian credit card will charge me an arm and a leg in fees and currency conversion for me to get Indonesian Rupiah in Bali from Canadian dollar account. Then at some point, my credit card will complain I am not in Canad anymore.
Not knowing better, Iโll try that. If that works good and still live me short on how to go for smaller and random daily expenses.
Thanks for your help!
Enjoy your Nomad living!!
Regarding remote work in Asia/Far East, How have or could you successfully navigate the time zone and internet issue. It sounds like you really have to use a cowork space there to have adequate connection but I would be working mainly in US time zones with 12 hour difference, are there spaces open 24 hours? Is it possible to get good internet with a long term rental instead? I would need a really good connection, which itโs hard to tell if exists in some places at all. Thanks!
Hey Nomads!
Iโm a Swiss Citizen but full time traveler (living a few month there and there) and therefore donโt have a permanent residence/home anywhere in the world.
For this reason, Iโm as well not registered in Switzerland and therefore donโt have medical care since I would have to pay at least 200$ monthly for medical care which I wonโt use since Iโm not living there.
As a in Switzerland unregistered Swiss Citizen I donโt have medical care in Switzerland but, however based on Swiss Law Iโm always allowed to return to Switzerland, register and then get medical coverage (f.e. in a medical emergency).
So now I was looking for both, an international health insurance with good coverage and an additional travel insurance for my trips. Unfortunately every insurance I check, I got asked for a permanent residence - which I donโt have and donโt want to. So I donโt know what to fill out and if I still can get insurance without having a permanent residence.
I was wondering if there are any nomads here with a similar situation like me and (not registered anywhere and without a permanent residence)? If so, what health insurance, travel insurance you have and where?
PS. As well Iโm not sure if it is kind of illegal not having a permanent residence anywhere plus where do I have to pay taxes?
Would be extremely grateful for any help on those matters - thanks so much!
Hello all,
I have a mail management service in the UK which all my mail gets sent to. This works fine 90% of the time and most can be dealt with digitally.
The other 10%, I need the mail sent on to me, which they do offer as a service. However, where I struggle is giving them an address to send it to in the Philippines, namely Manila.
Iโve used DHL for really important stuff, like bank cards, but it would be nice to have an address where I can forward certain mail. Anyone been able to set something up like this in the Philippines? Would a virtual office allow me to receive mail?
Thanks in advance
Today I read an article about hundreds of thousands of Kurds who were misplaced and lost their homes during military siege of Kurdish cities Sur and Diyarbakir by the Turkish Army. Source below:
I was aware for some time now that the Turkish military is using excessive force against its Kurdish minority, especially after the military coup crackdown this summer. This is one of such articles
Now, looking from a broader perspective, do you think we should travel into countries which are going to use the tax money (which we will contribute to) to finance military campaigns with heavy human rights violations and consequences against civilian lives? Isnโt that like crowdfunding war crime campaigns? How do other people observe such cases? This articleโs focal point is Turkey, but I am sure there are many other countries around the world with similar problems.
Hey everyone - Iโm new here, and this may be a dumb question, but I need some help! As a U.S. citizen, can I fly into Budapest from London without a return ticket?
Hi Nomads!
Starting January 2016 Iโm going to be starting a year as a Digital Nomad.
The last 5 years Iโve never worked with less than 2 monitors in front of me.
Sure, Iโve done some cafรฉ and hotel-room work. But all my biggest project has all been done in front of a stationary setup.
I do webdesign and development and have created a working habbit with several monitors on a large desk. Funny enough this is my biggest concern getting closer to January.
How do i teach myself to work from a 15" screen?
Do you find working from a 15" screen enough or do you have some kind of magical folding screen in your backpack?
If you have any ideas for me keeping a dual-monitor setup (The laptop being the first monitor) Iโm all ears!
Regards! And thank you for this delightful Forum!
If you are living and working out of Thailand (UTC+07:00) but work with people in the New York EST (UTC-05:00) Time Zone, how do you deal / handle the time difference and still be able to enjoy or make the most of the experience without turning into a tired night owl zombie?
Better yet, what do you find to be the benefits / drawbacks of having to work on such a schedule? (specially in Thailand)
Any advice from those who have done it for a long time? (2+ months)
Thanks,
Will
What method do you use to get paid by your employer abroad? Iโve used wire transfers and PayPal, but come to realize there are lots of fees some more obvious than others.
For example, with PayPal, often there is an international transfer fee of 3.4% or more, then on top of that PayPal takes a 2.5% spread on the currency exchange rate.
Ever heard of people buying an old school bus together and taking a road trip throughout the U.S.? Well itโs kind of like that.
What are the chances of a bunch of freelancers, or a startup, buying a really big boat, and working 100% remotely, while cruising to a different country each year? Kind of like Semester at sea but for a company or group of freelancers!
Hello,
Iโm currently residing in Seoul, Korea working at a corporate office job. Iโm having hard time finding a remote job or freelance job besides programming or article writing related jobs.
Are there options to do a remote job or freelance job for somewho who has no programming background?
Hello!
Iโm sure there are many here who are responsible for a Customer base within American time zones that travel Asia.
How do you balance your life out while doing this?
What questions should one ask themself before embarking into the nomadic lifestyle?
& what would your answer be to said question?
I plan to be in India for the next 3 - 4 months and then move to Thailand to work.
I plan to keep my MacBook at home till then.
Can I trust the mail in Thailand with it?
Is it safer to take it with me to India? (I really prefer not toโฆ)
To be more specific, by Thailand I mean Chiang Mai or Phuket
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