A digital nomad is defined as a person who earns a living working online in a variety of locations of their own choosing. It can be an exciting lifestyle choice full of wonder, mystery, freedom, and flexibility. Here are the advantages of digital nomad life.
The Advantages of Digital Nomad Life
I love to sit by a pool working like anyone else and take it easy but this can quite often not be the case. The life of a digital nomad can be more stressful than what the social media accounts project.
1. Enjoy Greater Levels of Freedom
The ability to choose your own work location is perhaps the best level of freedom I could express. A lot of people spend a large portion of their lives working and the ability to work from a location of your choosing yields a great level of satisfaction. It also comes with the perks of heightening productivity based on work environment satisfaction so is a win-win situation between you and your clients or employer.
Some digital nomads can also choose their own schedule which gives a better level of freedom over the work/life balance. For me there is no better feeling than finishing work earlier one day to head to the beach (or bar), sure – I know I will work more on another day to compensate for it but having that freedom over the schedule is perfect.
2. Flexibility at its Finest
The one thing I can say is one of the biggest pros to being a digital nomad is flexibility!
The ability to work from anywhere with an internet connection allows you to travel to new places, experience different cultures and pursue your passions and interests. Before travel I lived in the UK for years – Through the months of November to March it can get very cold, personally I used to dread this time of year. People’s moods become low and everything becomes a big shade of bleak.
Now I can choose whether to chase the sun or head somewhere to go skiing. I can choose to experience a monsoon or what it is like in a dry desert. Locational flexibility is what you make of it and without sounding too cliché – the world is your oyster.
3. Personal Growth and Discovering Yourself
Being a digital nomad requires a high level of adaptability, resourcefulness and self motivation. This can help heighten various personal qualities. In my experience I have become more organised, resilient and open to change than ever before and these are all qualities I deem important to my own personal growth.
Travelling the world opens your eyes to so much more and experiencing all that it has to offer can be a very wholesome experience and I love to embed myself into a culture where possible. We are constantly developing through experience and digital nomads have the potential to experience so much.
4. Discover new Cultures
Contrary to popular belief digital nomads can often spend large amounts of time in one location. This may of course still only be a month, few months or even past the 1 year mark but my point is that it is often long enough to start building connections with local communities and cultures.
Experiencing someone’s culture is perhaps the one of the best things, it not only aids in personal growth but it shows you a world beyond the world you already know. It helps you see things in different ways and perhaps even teaches you new skills.
Discovering new cultures can also have professional benefits including the ability to further understand and work with people from a wide range of cultural backgrounds. Understanding someones culture means you can relate to them on a much deeper level which is fantastic for both professional and personal environments.
5. Lower the Cost of Living
The cost of living can be a huge factor when considering becoming a digital nomad. A higher cost of living generally means you have less money to spend on things for you. This can lead to a lower level of satisfaction in life.
As a digital nomad you can choose where you go, the best thing is that you can go to a country with a lower cost of living which affords you a more expendable income. The benefits of this are that you can have more money for things you want to do or simply grow your savings for that big purchase you have been wanting to make.
6. No more Commute to Work
Commuting to work can be a real pain. Public transport, car trouble, walking in the rain – however you choose to commute to work can be fraught with annoyances or difficulties. Not as a digital nomad. Becoming a digital nomad means saying goodbye to the commute to work and for most of us that is not a bad thing.
Of course you may choose to commute to a co-working space or a coffee shop but for the most part it will be local to you and as I mentioned before, the freedom is all yours to choose where and when to work.
7. Be Part of a Global Community
As technology improves so does the potential to work from anywhere. More and more people are taking advantage of that fact meaning even when you are travelling alone, you are quite likely to meet other digital nomads. Obviously this does depend on the location.
Meeting Folks With a Similar Mindset
Even though you may be travelling solo, with a partner or even with friends, becoming a digital nomad means you are joining a fantastic community that is worldwide. There is something really special about meeting fellow nomads out and about, sharing experiences and interests with people who have a similar mindset.
The best thing is speaking to other members of the community and sharing recommendations. Maybe you have been somewhere the other person hasn’t and can give them helpful tips? Or somebody else may give you a recommendation for a wonderful place you may never have even heard of. I love travelling to a new area or location based on recommendations from people I have along the way but always remember to be safe and fact check.
Professional Networking
On a professional level it can be easier to network with other professionals and entrepreneurs from all over the world which (depending on your situation) can lead to new opportunities or a stronger professional network.
Conclusion
Being a digital nomad offers many positives and is a fantastic way of life. Of course, it is not for everyone and it certainly has its downsides which you can read in my article: 7 Downsides of Digital Nomad Life. That been said if you are willing to embrace a lifestyle that is independent of location, it can be a very rewarding and fulfilling life packed with fun, relaxation and good vibes!
