3 Things Successful Digital Nomads Do To Sustain Their Lifestyle
A lot of digital nomads start with enthusiasm and eventually get burnt out.
Being a digital nomad can be a rewarding experience. Everyone starts with childlike idealism and ends up quitting the lifestyle with bitterness most adults harbor after they quit on their dreams.
There are three common mistakes I have observed as well as my own by beginner digital nomads.
Having An Established Routine
When I first started my journey of becoming a full-time digital nomad, I decided to start in Amsterdam, Netherlands. If I knew what I know now, I would have chosen a different location. I was seduced by all of the new stimuli that my new location had to offer. Amsterdam has a lot of tourist traps and I fell for them all. Being in a new exotic country is a gift and a curse for a beginner.
Your mind is still in tourist mode instead of remote work mode.
You forget that you have work to do. Without work, you won’t be able to sustain your lifestyle. The fear of missing out on all of the activities your new location has to offer can keep you up at night. It is easier to build a routine long before you start your journey. Trying to establish a routine while amid all the new mental stimuli can be overwhelming.
Establishing A Community
Anytime we are introduced to a new environment, we encounter new stressors. Think back on your first day of your new job. Most of the time, people are generally stressed because they have no idea what to expect. This is because the environment is new. A comfort level has yet to be reached. Being a digital nomad comes with its unique stressors and dealing with these stressors alone can cause a lot of anxiety. I would consider myself an introvert. I like having the option to connect with people instead of it being forced upon me which seems to be the case with some communities.
But even for us introverts, having a community is important and not for superficial reasons like networking for business but for mental health reasons.
If you are living in a location where you don’t know the local language, the feeling of isolation will consume you. Not being able to do basic things like communicating with others will leave you feeling like Will Smith in “I Am Legend,” the only person on earth. Having some sort of community will help alleviate some of these symptoms.
Taking Care of Your Health
A lot of nomads struggle with health issues, especially with weight gain. The main reason for this is because we take for granted the convenience of having certain foods or having access to a gym. We are told to have health insurance when we travel. The rule of thumb is to treat it like it is car insurance, it is nice to have but you don’t want to actually have to use it. Do your best to take care of your health while traveling. I would recommend prioritizing it.
One thing that puts the journey to a halt is the deterioration of your health.
Learn how to cook for yourself and learn the art of calisthenics. Many nomads put off cooking because they prefer to power through their day to get more work done. That is admirable but they usually pay for it in the long run. I have personally seen many who had put on tons of weight or have had heart attacks because they simply did not want to prioritize their health. Calisthenics is only an option if you don’t have access to a gym in your location, otherwise, join a gym. Anytime Fitness has gyms all over the world.
“The will to prepare to win and the ability to prevent losing are of far greater importance”
Vince Lombardi
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