Since the pandemic, more of us than ever are working from home. Our employers have put systems in place that allow us to work remotely and collaborate with colleagues without ever setting foot inside an office.
They’re a massive benefit to this – not only does working from home minimise your commute, allow you to be more productive with fewer distractions and let you work flexible hours, but it can also give you to freedom to work anywhere.
For example, I work freelance with a huge team but it’s all remote. We communicate daily and collaborate on our tasks but I’ve never met these people in real life. In fact, I’ve never even seen them or spoken to them on Zoom. THAT’S how remote my work is. I’m still part of a team – but one that spans countries and continents.
If you’re not tied to a physical location in your job, you can live anywhere (move where the house prices are better perhaps?) but the digital nomad lifestyle gives you more than that – you can travel while you work.
Now that we all have laptops and tablets, webcams and smartphones, there’s nothing stopping us doing our jobs anywhere in the world. All you need is reliable wifi or a global eSIM that lets you stay connected everywhere and you’ll be able to maintain your career while you explore.
Of course, you can’t just set off on your extended holiday – if you’re employed you’ll need to discuss this idea with your employer and you may need to negotiate fewer hours or book some holiday time off for those days when you’re in another country and just want to explore rather than work.
But the main attraction of a digital nomad life is that you can be sitting in the courtyard garden of your Airbnb in a European country, enjoying the view and soaking up the sun while still earning your wage remotely. Plus, when you’ve finished your work for the day, you can close the lid of your laptop and you’re immediately on holiday – bonus!
Plus, you can stay where the living costs are budget-friendly: think low-cost but lovely accommodation, frugal yet fantastic food, and thrifty yet terrific travel options. If your ongoing cost of living is low, you can perhaps afford to work less and spend more time enjoying your global getaway.
I know that many jobs aren’t suited to this type of lifestyle but, if your career already allows you to work from home and all of your tasks can be completed via a computer, it’s definitely possible that you could embrace a digital nomad lifestyle.
Many people have online side hustles that could eventually replace their main job – in which case, working towards the idea of a digital nomad life will give you the motivation to grow your business. Putting in those extra hours to boost your side hustle business during the dark evenings of the autumn and winter may mean that it becomes your main hustle and you’ll be able to head off into the sunset next spring or summer.
The classic image we all have of a digital nomad is someone working on a laptop while lying in a hammock on a tropical island. And, while that’s possible, it’s more likely that you’ll be at a kitchen table in a holiday rental and will need to complete your work before you can relax. But the hours that you’re not working are your own – so why not enjoy them somewhere exotic or exciting?
Let me know in the comments below if you like the idea of living the digital nomad lifestyle. Plus, tell me if you’ve previously worked while exploring – I’d love to hear how you got on and please share your digital nomad plans to inspire me!
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This article is a sponsored collaboration. The pink links in the content indicate a sponsored link or information source. The blog post reflects my own experience and the sponsor hasn’t had any control over my content 🙂
