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6 Answers
Two words: massage appointments. Build it into your budget as a business expense. When you're constantly adapting to new ergonomic situations, your body needs help resetting. I book a deep tissue massage every two weeks wherever I am. Cheaper in Southeast Asia, admittedly more expensive in Western Europe, but always worth it.
After trying EVERYTHING, I finally invested in an actual travel ergonomic kit: inflatable lumbar support, ultralight keyboard, and the key piece - a lightweight seat cushion that has saved my tailbone on countless wooden coffee shop chairs. Together they take up less space than a pair of shoes in my suitcase. Worth. Every. Penny.
Unpopular opinion but... standing setups. I use a packing cube filled with books/stuff to elevate my laptop on whatever surface is available, and I work standing for 25-min intervals. No extra equipment needed beyond what I already carry. Also, I do a 7-minute yoga routine every morning that's specifically for desk workers - search 'nomad morning stretches' on YouTube.
The trick is booking smart. I stopped using traditional Airbnbs and started using workation-specific platforms that guarantee proper desk setups. More expensive? Yes. But my productivity and physical health make it worth it. Also: resistance bands take up virtually no space but give you the ability to counteract all that typing/mousing with some antagonist muscle work.
Game-changer for me has been a collapsible laptop stand + foldable keyboard + travel mouse combo. The Roost stand weighs nothing and packs flat, so I can get proper eye level anywhere. I also roll up a travel jacket to make a lumbar support for whatever chair I end up with. Oh and a tennis ball for rolling out tight muscles - takes up no space!
I bought one of those tiny foldable laptop stands on Amazon for like $15, its AMAZING. Also get an external keyboard that folds in half. Literal gamechanger for my neck and shoulders. I used to get killer headaches after 3 hours of work, now I can go all day. Also - dont underestimate how much better you'll feel if you just get up and move every hour!
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