Europe and China means two calendars, two cultures and a lot of flights. Over the years I have had to figure out how to keep client projects, family life and my own health on track while jumping between time zones. In this article I share the routines and systems that make travel productive, how I structure remote work across time zones and how I avoid the constant feeling of being late in one place and too early in the other.
I do not see myself as a digital nomad. I am more of a commuter between two worlds, Sweden and Shanghai, Europe and China. That in between life only works when the boring details are handled by routines. Clear calendars, a simple travel stack, predictable communication patterns and a few non negotiable rules for sleep and health. None of this is perfect, but it is what has kept me and my projects moving.
Operating Cadence
- Two clocks, one plan: I plan weeks on CET and then execute days on local time. Deadlines and delivery dates are always in European time, but standups and calls adapt to whatever timezone I am in.
- AM and PM split: Mornings are for deep work and writing, afternoons are for calls with Europe, and evenings or late nights are for China follow ups when needed.
- Weekly anchor doc: One running document per project that tracks objectives, blockers, owners and next steps. Clients and partners know that this is the single source of truth.
The important thing here is that the cadence is visible. Everyone sees what I am doing and when. If I am on a plane or in a meeting with a factory, the anchor doc still shows where we are and what happens next. That is what allows me to disappear for a few hours without the whole project slowing down.
Pre flight Checklist, 48 Hours Before Travel
- Confirm agendas and owners for the first week after landing so that there are no surprises when I arrive.
- Draft async updates for all active projects and schedule them to land in the morning in each region.
- Prepare an offline kit, key files in a synced folder, credentials in a password manager and emergency contacts saved in plain text.
- Check visa, local transport, hotel address and a short list of backup cafes or coworking spots where I can work if needed.
Travel Stack
- Calendar: Dual time zone view, color coded by region, and all important invites have the timezone written out in the title.
- Docs: Shared cloud storage, one folder per project, a simple 00 Inbox folder for quick drops and a daily log file where I note decisions and small wins.
- Communication: Email for decisions, chat for quick clarifications and WeChat or WhatsApp for on site operations and logistics.
- Automation: Canned snippets for intros, status updates and handoffs, and calendar links to make sure people book me in hours that actually work with my current location.
The tools are not special. What matters is using them consistently. When people know that decisions are always in email, quick questions are in chat and operations are in WeChat or WhatsApp, they no longer have to guess where to reach me. That alone saves a lot of mental energy.
Async Collaboration Patterns
- Short screen recordings: Two to four minute videos beat a long wall of text when I need to explain a UX flow, a supply chain diagram or a web layout.
- Next concrete step: Every thread ends with one owner, one clear action and one date. It is a small habit that keeps remote work from drifting.
- Weekly demos: Even small demos keep momentum, a short video, a screenshot, a simple report. It shows that things are moving even when time zones do not overlap.
Async work is not about sending more messages. It is about sending fewer, clearer updates that make it easy for the other person to take the next step when they wake up. When I do this well, we move one or two steps forward every night on both sides of the world.
Time Zones Without Chaos
- Define office hours for each region and stick to them as much as possible. Avoid the gray zone where everyone is half awake.
- Batch meetings by region and leave at least one meeting free day after long haul flights.
- Default to 25 or 50 minute meetings so there is buffer for context switches and short breaks.
I also use simple labels in my calendar for energy, not just time. A red block might mean travel or a factory visit, a green block might mean deep work. It is a quick visual reminder not to overload a day that is already demanding.
Health and Focus on the Road
- Sleep first 48 hours: After landing I try to get sunlight, a walk, a light dinner and no late caffeine. Melatonin is a backup, not a default.
- Movement: A simple hotel room routine with bodyweight exercises and bands, twenty to thirty minutes per day, and stairs over lifts when I can choose.
- Food: Local and simple, plenty of water, fruit in the room and coffee mainly in the first half of the day.
I have learned the hard way that my work is only as good as my sleep and my mood. A bad week of travel can easily turn into three weeks of low energy. Protecting sleep, movement and food is not about optimisation, it is about not crashing.
Carry on Packing List That I Repeat
- Noise cancelling headphones, compact keyboard and mouse, universal adapter, two USB C chargers and a power bank.
- Travel router or eSIM plan, a small cable set, a USB C hub and a drive with an encrypted backup of key files.
- Light hoodie, spare t shirt, running gear, electrolytes, eye mask and earplugs.
I try to keep this list stable. The less I have to think about packing, the more mental space I have for real work or just being present with family before I leave. A repeatable packing list is a small thing with a big effect on stress levels.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you avoid burnout when working between Europe and China?
I avoid trying to be fully available in both places at the same time. Clear office hours, one day without meetings after long haul flights and routines for sleep and movement are what prevent burnout much more than any productivity hack.
How do you keep remote projects moving across time zones?
Every project has one anchor document, clear owners for each task and regular async updates. I use short screen recordings when I need to explain something complex, and I end every thread with one next concrete step.
What tools do you use for cross time zone collaboration?
I keep it simple, calendar with dual time zone view, shared cloud folders for documents, email for decisions, chat for quick questions and WeChat or WhatsApp for local operations. The routine is more important than the specific tools.
How do you balance family life with frequent travel?
I try to make my travel predictable, plan calls that overlap with family friendly hours when I can and be fully present when I am home. It is never perfect, but clear expectations and honest communication help a lot.
Is living between Europe and China worth the complexity?
For me it is. I like the feeling of having a foot in both worlds, Swedish calm and Chinese dynamism. The complexity is real, but with routines it becomes manageable instead of chaotic.
Closing Thoughts
The between life works when routines do the heavy lifting. A clear cadence, one anchor document per project and respectful async communication are what make Europe and China feel connected instead of constantly out of sync. If you want help setting up a cross time zone rhythm for your team or your own work, I am happy to share templates and compare notes.