Time zones do not have to ruin your health. They become a problem when every meeting is treated as equally urgent.

Practical rules

• Protect one deep-work block that never moves for low-value meetings.
• Batch overlapping collaboration into a defined “office overlap” window.
• Use async updates (recorded loom-style notes, written status) before requesting live calls.
• Cap late-night meetings to a weekly budget, then enforce it.

Tell collaborators your overlap hours clearly. Ambiguity creates after-hours expectations. Clarity creates trust.

If your role cannot tolerate any async work, reconsider whether continuous travel is compatible with that job design.