With a laptop and some wifi, a digital nomad can work anywhere from a crowded café in Mumbai to a managed office in Melbourne. Although that sounds (and is) great, hopping from country to country can take its toll. If you’re not paying close attention to your health and happiness, the quality of your work can decline, and the length of your workday can extend. This means less time to enjoy the country and culture you’ve traveled all this way to explore.
To avoid that sad fate and get the most out of your digital nomad experience, let’s look at five ways to build a happy life.
1. Sleep well
A consistent sleep schedule can be hard to maintain when you move around so much. However, it’s essential to try because being well rested improves every other part of the day.
Regardless of when you fall asleep, set up a nighttime routine. For some, this means journaling or reading a book. For others, it’s all about listening to soothing music. One thing that’s best to avoid, however, is binge-watching your favorite TV show on a bright laptop screen right before sleep.
2. Set the right pace
Although it’s exciting to spend a few days here and a few days there, it’s also exhausting, costly, and time-consuming. Alongside all the (unpaid) time required to find rentals and flights, there’s the actual flying process, which usually takes longer than you assume. A two or three-hour flight can quickly turn into a full-day journey when you factor in arriving at the airport early and then finding your accommodation upon arrival. On top of that, there’s the impact constant movement has on your work (aka your ability to pay for the digital nomad life).
That’s why it’s important to take a step back and find the right pace for you.
3. Make time for exercise
Digital nomads can work anywhere and anytime. Unfortunately, that means many of them end up working everywhere and all the time. This type of schedule, mixed in with the fact that most digital nomads sit for long periods of time, makes exercise difficult.
Although difficult, it’s essential. Exercise releases endorphins and reenergizes your body to help you refocus at work. That being said, it’s not always possible to find a local gym with reasonable day passes. Luckily, there are plenty of workouts you can do at home, whether that’s yoga on YouTube or bodyweight exercises pulled from Reddit.
4. Get a handle on your finances
Some digital nomads are quite wealthy, while others are barely covering expenses. Regardless, both need to work within a budget of some sort. That’s why it’s important to track what you’re making and what you’re spending. At the end of a digital nomad stint, you don’t want to return home completely broke.
5. Eat well
Proper nutrition is one of the most important aspects of leading a healthy and happy life. Unfortunately, traveling puts you in contact with an abundance of convenience store snacks and fried street food. Although delicious, they’re rarely nutritious.
That being said, if you’re staying in a rental with basic amenities, then it’s easy to cook up healthy food. For those who want something fast and cheap, consider canned beans, frozen veggies, and eggs. Additionally, incorporate whole grains such as brown rice to pack in other vitamins and minerals. As a sort of insurance policy, consider taking a multivitamin to round out your nutritional needs.
Keep these five tips in mind, and you’ll be on your way to living a happy and healthy digital nomad life.
