Digital Nomad Challenges: How to Overcome Them
DIGITAL NOMAD CHALLENGES:
Being a digital nomad isn’t always easy. While the laptop lifestyle looks appealing on your social media feed; showcasing nomads working from the beach, coconut in hand. Reality can sometimes be a bit different. Of course digital nomad challenges exist! I am here to keep things real with you. But have no fear, where there are challenges there are also solutions! So, here are 3 challenges I face as a digital nomad and how to tackle them.
⇢ LONELINESS:
When traveling as a digital nomad it can often get lonely at times. Although I have friends based all around the world, they are really spread out! As a digital nomad you are constantly having to say goodbye to friends and family. You go long periods of times without seeing loved ones. Naturally this can lead to a little bit of homesickness. However, this is natural and to be expected and therefore I have a number of solutions for this digital nomad challenge!
What to do about it: »
• Meet new people in person: at accommodations, events, coffee shops, bars, and out around town. If you are staying in hostels this is often the easiest place to meet fellow travelers. My tip is book a private room so you can have some personal space but still enjoy the community!
• Book group Tours: If you feel like you need some company then I highly recommend booking a group tour or excursion. This is a great way to meet new people, recharge that social battery and have someone to share the experience with. Plus, free photographers !
• Online: I’m always talking to friends from around the world and nurturing the connections I have made. Personally I love using WhatsApp as it is the most internationally used (in my experience) for daily texting. Plus, with todays technology we have the ability to talk “face to face” with the click of a button. Facetime, Skype and Zoom have been LIFESAVERS during the last few years. Seeing your loved ones face can make all the difference.
• Group Trips: I’d also like to visit more friends and plan trips together. This can be difficult with trying to line up schedules, but as a digital nomad you have the flexibility to plan a little easier around other peoples timelines so try to plan these in advanced!
• Join Facebook groups: There are SO many groups out there that you can join, it is overwhelming. However here are a few that I personally really enjoy:
- TravelBFF (perfect for finding a travel buddy)
- Girls LOVE Travel (1.3 M travel enthusiast)
- Host a Sister (if you are looking for a host, want to host or find a meet up buddy)
- Solo Female Travelers (if your solo and more comfortable with finding other females)
Keep in mind that you can also find tons of Facebook groups for a specific location! If you are moving to a city for a longer period of time try typing in keywords like “expats in X” to find groups as well.
⇢ FATIGUE EXHAUSTION:
It can be tiring to always move around! While waking up in a new place and having the chance to experience different things is incredible… reality is that you can burnout quickly. Digital nomad challenge number two is one that I feel like isn’t talked about nearly enough. Humans are wired to like some stability and routine. Without it we can often feel out of sorts and tire more quickly. Therefore here are some of my recommendations to help fight off the traveler fatigue.
What to do about it: »
• Routine, routine, routine. Create exercise, sleep and self care routines so that you can have some more structure in your life. You will see a huge difference even after a few days of having some consistency. Make a schedule for at least part of your day and stick to it. Don’t worry, you still have plenty of time to be spontaneous.
• Slow Travel. Stay in a place longer so you don’t feel like you’re always rushing around. This slower paced lifestyle has become more popular with digital nomads choosing to stay in one place for a few months at a time. There are so many benefits involved with slow travel. You have more time to experience daily life. There is no need to rush to check items off your list. Plus, you can find cheaper rental rates and visit busy sites on “off days” instead of having to fight the crowds on weekends and peak hours.
• Self Care. Take care of yourself & your health- remember your vitamins, water & healthy food! I know when we’re “on vacation” it’s easy to pretend those calories don’t count. We treat ourselves a little bit more often. However, the truth is you’re NOT on vacation. This is a lifestyle and you need to keep this in mind.
⇢ CONSISTENT INCOME:
Okay, let’s talk money. Yes, it can be challenging to have a constant income stream. Unless you are working in a full-time position that is simply allowing you to work remotely, chances are you are either a freelancer or starting your own business. Scary? It can be. So here are my solutions to digital nomad challenge number three.
What to do about it: »
• Diversify your income streams. Don’t rely on only one source of income. I personally have close to 7 sources of income. As a freelancer, I work as social media manager for clients to help them optimize (and sometimes run) their social media accounts. Next, (one of the most fun jobs) I work as a content creator and partner with travel brands, hotels, agencies and tourism boards to create content for marketing and social media. Lastly, my true passion, I also am a Digital Nomad coach! This is where I run my own academy to help other people make the transition into the digital nomad lifestyle from start to finish! If after reading this article you think you’re ready to make the leap, but you want someone who will help you through the process step by step, I’m your girl! You can check out my Academy here !
• Passive Income is key. Look for ways to create passive income for yourself so that when you’re in between clients or contracts you can continue to make money even while you sleep. You can become an ambassador and use affiliate links to earn commission on products you genuinely want to promote. You can create digital products (I’ll shamelessly link mine here as examples) such as Lightroom Presets, Digital Planners, Ebooks and more!
I hope after all this I have helped settle some of your worries about the digital nomad challenges many of us face. No matter where you are or what you do for a living life will always have its ups and downs but if this is the lifestyle for you, it will all be worth it in the end!
✨ Do you struggle with any other challenges and want help with some solutions? Let me know in the comments 👇🏼👇🏼