The digital nomad life sounds like the ultimate dream - travelling freely and exploring the world, waking up to hear the sea, relaxing in a cabin in the mountains, checking emails from the beach. In short, the freedom to choose to be wherever you want to. But the digital nomad life is not without its challenges...
So, what are the potential pitfalls?
While the allure of working from a beachside cafe or a busy foreign city is undeniable, significant considerations that come with this way of living. From finding reliable internet to managing loneliness and securing healthcare, the digital nomad life does come with some downsides..
Lack of stability
Life on the road, as a digital nomad, is not for the faint-hearted. The lack of a fixed home, the unpredictability of freelance work, and the uncertainty of your next destination can be daunting. Your income can vary from month to month, your accommodation may not always meet your expectations, and currency exchange rates can be a constant concern.
Missing home
You might get homesick - most people do. Leaving behind family, friends, even partners can be tough. You’ll miss milestones of relatives, friends’ weddings, birthdays, events, your hometown, your mums cooking. But also remember, if you get too home sick or if something happens at home, you can be home quickly as you are flexible in work and travel.
Loneliness
The digital nomad life can be lonely! While you will constantly be meeting people, you’ll also constantly be leaving people. It’s challenging to form lasting relationships when you are constantly moving from one place to another, and you will also lack the relationships with colleagues that traditional jobs give.
You can end up feeling isolated, and it requires active effort to manage through community engagement and staying connected with loved ones. Make sure to actively find new connections by going to events so you quickly build up new friendships.
Meeting deadlines
Managing your work alongside your life as a freelancer is difficult - it requires some serious discipline. You need to make sure that the required work is done in the required timeframe, and some lack the self-control to make this happen. Would you be tempted by that snorkelling trip with the guys from your hostel, even though you have a deadline due?
Internet issues
This is such a big one! You need a good strong internet connection, especially if your job requires meetings or video calls. You will probably at many points along your journey find yourself in countries, towns, and mountains that lack the speed of connection that you require. This can cause issues, especially if you are an employee of a company, and can lead to you not fulfilling your duties as needed.
Healthcare abroad
Healthcare can also be an issue while on the go around the globe. Insurance can be hard to find, health costs can be pricy, and the standards can be inconsistent. This is especially important to consider if you have any long-term health conditions.
In remote areas, healthcare can be difficult to come across, and some countries also might not have access to the medications that your home county does. Language barriers can make healthcare abroad difficult, and maintaining consistency of care while on the go can be tricky. Emergency situations in foreign countries can also be incredibly stressful.
Visas and permits
Visas can potentially be an issue, even with the best of passports. If you plan to stay in a county for a longer period, then you need to look into their conditions of working remotely from there. There are also many countries that require you to obtain the visa from an embassy in your home country, and not only can this be expensive but it’s often also impractical.
Who wants to fly all the way back to where they came from to pick up a visa?! Visas can be a real pain sometimes, and it requires a lot of planning, especially if you’re travelling around the African Continent.
Timing
Time zone differences can also be a tricky one. Work schedules can be on the total opposite of the time spectrum to where you are located. This can mean late nights working, tiredness, missing out on parties and events, and sleeping during the day.
Communication with clients is a very important aspect too. Let them know you'll be traveling often and that you might be in a different time zone. If this happens, you have to be flexible with your work hours, and yes, this might mean having to work late at night or early in the morning!
Workspace
Finding suitable places to work from can also be a slight challenge. A lot of remote parts of counties are not set up for the digital nomad life yet, meaning that finding a place to sit quietly and work in peace might be hard to come by.
This is why we often look for good co-working offices or cafes in the city we want to visit. Even better if you can find accommodation next to a co-working location or if your apartment has a decent work space.
Conclusion: Is the Digital Nomad Life for Me?
But for most of us, the benefits of this life FAR outweigh the list above. With the right attitude, discipline and plan, you can reduce the impact of them and live a thriving life as a digital nomad. Check out out future blogs that are coming up for detailed advice on how to combat the above list!
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