The concept of the digital nomad is something that has become increasingly popular over recent years, especially following the Covid-19 pandemic. With many companies offering remote working opportunities and certain individuals looking to switch to a freelance career and work on their own timeframe, many turned to the idea of living the traveling lifestyle while remaining in some form of employment. Along with these societal changes, the advancements we have made with hardware and software have made this sort of lifestyle increasingly more accessible to individuals, yet getting to a stage in a career like this requires patience and a lot of forethought. If you’ve adopted the digital nomad lifestyle or are looking to get started, here are a few tips, tricks, and tools that you should consider making use of to make this a much easier lifestyle for you.
Keep Track Of Your Schedule
As a digital nomad, it’s important to keep track of your schedule and deadlines, especially if you’re working with clients or team members in different time zones. Choose from the many calendar apps available, like Google Calendar or Calendly, which can help you stay organized and on top of things. It’s important to remember that, by not staying in the same place every day, it can be much easier to lose track of tasks if you don’t put extra effort into reminding yourself of deadlines. Traveling around the country while working is going to increase the chances of disruptions occurring, and in turn, those disruptions could lead to you losing track of work, so make sure you do everything you can to keep yourself on a good schedule.
Avoid Distractions
As mentioned above, distractions are commonplace for the digital nomad, but of course, there are plenty of distractions you’ll avoid by not being in a busy office space, too. While you will avoid the water cooler ambushes by the office gossip, you will trade that for possible encounters with the general public, as well as unexpected events happening around you. Try, wherever possible, to do your work somewhere with a limited chance of distractions. Many digital nomads choose to find public nature spaces to park up and work with the peace and quiet of the wilderness around them. Alternatively, you could find a quiet, independent coffee shop that allows you to charge your gear while working. Consider buying yourself some noise-cancelling headphones as well, as these will help you to drown out distractions significantly. However, try to keep safety in mind and remain aware of your surroundings as much as possible.
Keep Documents Organized Online
As you’re going to be working in a smaller space, you’ll almost predominantly be working with digital content, as is the nature of a digital nomad. Having access to cloud software like Google Drive, OneDrive and Dropbox are essential as it allows you to keep all of your documents auto-saved in the event that you lose power and forget to save your work or if your device breaks and you have to work elsewhere temporarily. Having a cloud backup of your work will minimize the disruption you face during events like this. As well as cloud software, you should also consider getting a mail forwarding and office address, especially if you’re a freelance business owner. There will be certain documents that will need to make their way to you in physical form, and using a digital mail management service like PhysicalAddress.com is ideal for situations like this. They will open and scan your letters and upload them to your accounts so you can view them wherever you are. You’ll also be able to arrange for those hard copies to be delivered to an appropriate location so you can retrieve them in the future.
Take Care Of Yourself
It’s important to remember to take care of yourself while on your digital nomad journey. The lifestyle can be an exciting adventure, for sure, but it also comes with its own set of challenges, especially when it comes to self-care. Make sure you’re eating nutritious meals, getting enough sleep, and taking the time to relax and unwind. Additionally, you should also aim to stay active. It can be easy for even digital nomads to forget to make time for physical exercise, even when they’re out traveling the world. Exercising regularly is crucial for maintaining a healthy mind and body, so search for pay-as-you-go gyms or pick some activities you can do outside, like yoga, hiking, or swimming, to help you stay in shape and boost your overall well-being. Sometimes you need to prioritize yourself and not forget about the importance of self-care.
Invest In Portable Essentials
When you’re out and about as a digital nomad, there are a few things you’ll have to consider bringing with you that people not following this type of lifestyle may not need to think about. The last thing you want is to be caught without power, and while you may have some form of power generator with you or solar panels, you will likely want to consider bringing backups or even smaller portable options for charging your phone or laptop. Don’t forget to also bring a selection of power banks that you can charge up while working in coffee shops or other places, too.
