You might say that digital nomadism is about convenience to the core. After all, working remotely and being able to travel the world while you do so, to most, is the appeal of the whole endeavor. You choose this lifestyle because you want the freedom to choose your lifestyle, not because you’re looking for guardrails or hard limits to your daily schedule.
But of course, life doesn’t always work that way. The world often runs on a schedule or a standard routine, while you still have to work, and sometimes that means being available in given hours.
For this reason, digital nomadeers have come up with many different tips and tricks to make their travels suit their lifestyle. It’s an art, and one you get a feel for, but doing so can be the adventure of a lifetime. Let’s consider the below:
Luggage Storage
Moving around means dealing with bags and laundry, and while this is just an inevitability, it’s important to plan around how you do this. Living from a suitcase sounds romantic until you’re dragging it up five flights of stairs or have to bring it with you until you can check into a room. Smart nomads often use storage lockers in major cities or when arriving in them, such as using luggage storage Heathrow airport to stay free for the day, work a little, and then return when you can go to your hotel.
Of course, it’s also about knowing what you can get away with buying vs bringing with you. Perhaps when you go to a new city, you might just buy a brand new pack of socks and underwear for convenience’s sake.
Knowing When To Take Breaks
There’s a sense among digital nomads that breaks are just going to take more away from your leisure time, but the truth is that a break can allow you to recharge. You can time these with your commutes to make things easier, such as using travel pillows or even booking tickets in sleeper carriages to catch some Z’s. Our recent guide on how and why to take breaks to improve your productivity can be a great place to start, letting you get the best outcome between adventuring and traveling on your own fun terms.
Fasting & Eating Schedules
When your schedule is free, you may find yourself in weird eating habits too. That’s where you have to try and get some kind of normal approach going. Some nomads stick to specific eating windows, which can sometimes help your body clock adjust faster. Others use meal times to explore local culture, planning work around local lunch hours, or will adapt to local norms like the post-lunch siesta common in Spain.
Simple habits like drinking plenty of water and keeping healthy snacks handy can help you always make sure you’re satiated during those long trips. However, some people enjoy fasting, because it means they can eat one or two large meals a day and then not worry about the scheduling. Just make sure you’re getting enough calories and nutrition if you hope to go this route, and implementing electrolytes that allow you to stay energetic is essential also.
Booking Days Off In Line With Holidays Back Home
You may find that smart scheduling makes a big difference to how many breaks you get to have. For example, if you’re in a new country but you know there’s a bank holiday or similar date back home, you can book off each day around it so there’s no one in the office, but that the break is also longer for you.
This can also mean cheaper flights as you’re traveling in off-peak times. Some nomads cluster their work into intense periods as part of that, which frees up longer breaks for proper exploring. Finding your schedule or even adjusting it on a weekly basis can help you feel connected to this approach, so don’t dismiss it out of hand.
Periods Of Intense Work & Rest
Just as you may decide to get into your own eating rhythm, digital nomads are often concerned with hyper-productivity and hyper-recreation. But of course, balance is key. If you can work in four hour sessions with a break in between, prioritize your work into time blocks, and really “lock in” (as the kids say), you should be able to maximize your time exploring or spending time in your chosen destination.
This isn’t necessarily anything new. It’s common, for instance, for Firemen to be on call only to arrive to sort out a quite literal fire. You have to make sure to rest and balance your energy around that, but making sure you know when, how and what you need for an intense working session can allow you to freeup energy for the rest of your stay. Remember, you don’t need to do everything in one day, but having outlines in each project can be important. Remember, digital nomadism has to be about work first to fund your trip, and so once that’s done, you can play.
With this advice, we hope you can enjoy digital nomadism and enjoy some of the tricks experienced individuals have found.
