4 Mindful Practices for Digital Nomads

The rapid development of technology allows us to completely uproot our lives and go on incredible adventures while still maintaining steady jobs, something our ancestors couldn’t even dream about. This incredible privilege opened up a lot of doors but also caused us to have higher blood pressure, a lot of stress and anxiety and a lot of mental health issues. Research clearly shows that our work affects our health, and vice versa. This is the case for the overworked CEO at the Fortune 500, as well as for an early 20s Instagram blogger who travels across the world. Being a digital nomad and working your dream job while travelling around the globe can have its negative effects too.

Although a case can be made that choosing the lifestyle of a digital nomad reduces a lot of stress related to a corporate bonus-chasing culture, there are still a lot of other factors to take into consideration. Being mindful in every aspect of your life allows digital nomads to further improve their experience and broaden their horizons. There is always room for improvements, and we are going to offer you some.

Know Yourself and Choose What is Best for You

Working and travelling go hand in hand for digital nomads. But not every person is the same. What worked for someone else might not be good for you, and vice versa. Do you prefer changing destinations weekly, or monthly? Do you enjoy working in the morning, or late at night? Perhaps you are most productive during the brightest hours of the day. Do you enjoy luxury hotels or cosy, local apartments? Do you even know your preferred travel style?

Being mindful starts with yourself, your own preferences, habits and things that help you protect your physical and mental health. Always start with yourself first, and the rest will follow more easily.

Business and Pleasure? Make a Distinction from Time to Time

If you don’t have strict office hours, you might always be on the clock. If you always travel for work, how will you know when you are actually taking a break? The benefits of having a holiday are incredible, and you should know that. Even if you are enjoying your job so much that you hardly see it as a job anymore, taking some time off will benefit your greatly.

Book a vacation where there won’t be any shop talk, and start incorporating fun little adventures that are just for you and are in no way connected to your job. If, perhaps, you have chosen a career of a travel blogger, it can be very difficult to learn when to take time off and just be there in the moment. Mindfulness requires it of you, and allowing yourself time to just be, without a business agenda can help you work even harder in the future. Your body and your mind need to recharge, so let them.

Be Mindful of Your Surrounding and the Only Planet We Have

Once you have given yourself a priority, and know how to choose the best options for your mental and physical health, the most mindful step further is to start taking care of the planet Earth. If you have chosen a career that enables you to visit the farthest places, you can surely recognise the importance of preserving them. The only home we have is being constantly destroyed by people, and travelling is unfortunately adding to an already overdue bill. Being mindful is impossible without having planet Earth on your mind. Make sure you have done your research and that you are doing your best to decrease your negative impact, and to implement ecological practices in your daily life and travel routine.  Every little improvement is a step in the right direction.

Your Life Might be a Spontaneous Adventure. But Plan It, Just in Case!

Digital nomads are prone to split-second decisions, following their gut and avoiding rigid structures. And all of that makes them enjoy and appreciate life so much more. However, on the other side of the coin, along with spontaneous and exciting lies also chaos, challenges and confrontations. Always being without a plan can lead to a lot of wasted resources – time, money, energy… You don’t need to have a detailed 5-year plan in order to be mindful, but if you want to decrease stress and anxiety, some parts of your life can and should be planned and thought out. Perhaps you can receive your money faster and with a lower fee if you look for a better provider. It is possible that organising your mornings differently can double your productivity. Setting time in the week for handling budget and bills can do wonders for your finances. Mix a little adventure with a little Excel table, and your overall happiness will surely be improved.

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