5 tips for digital nomad

A Digital Nomad is the individual who uses new technologies to work from anywhere in the world leading a nomadic life with his work in his backpack. There is no great wisdom about this new phenomenon unthinkable for our parents and their boring jobs in the same office for years. Who is a digital nomad, knows it.

There are many professions that accept this kind of life and have in common their work tool: a computer and an Internet connection to be able to work by changing location from time to time.

Not only travel bloggers are Digital Nomads. There are many jobs that can be done remotely: programming, web design, graphic design, editorial design, app development, consulting, auditing, virtual assistance, online classes, photography, video, editing and proofreading, translation, coaching, illustration, online sales, customer service, journalism, writing. And many other professions that we may have left out because the field of possibilities is becoming wider and wider.

If you are a Digital Nomad or you are thinking of entering this traveling lifestyle, here are five tips to make your job easier (or perhaps better said, your trip):

1 – Get used to slower travel: slow travel

A Digital Nomad doesn’t do express travel. Well, maybe on occasion. But normally he/she tries to get to know each place he/she visits by spending a minimum of time there to soak up the place. To work while traveling you have to move slower than when you travel for leisure, although leisure is not detached from the concept of being a Digital Nomad. The more time you spend in a place the more you will get to know its culture, its customs, its way of life and its gastronomy. Above all, if you come to Riviera Maya you will need to know the incredible gastronomy of the area and the Mayan culture. That’s why you have to “settle down” for a while in each place you visit. Also, it will be much easier for you to work if you don’t have to move your team every week.

2 – Organize

One of the things you love the most about traveling is not having established routines and that every day is different. But keep in mind that without routines it will be more difficult to focus when it’s time to get to work, so constant organization is necessary.

Being a Digital Nomad you will probably be your own boss working as a freelancer for different clients or managing your own business. Since you won’t have strict schedules set by someone else, you will have to learn to set them yourself to be productive. It doesn’t have to be a rigid schedule every week or even every day, it will depend on your workload and where you are in the world at any given time.

3 – A good Internet connection is needed

The working tool of Digital Nomads is the Internet, along with their device (laptop or cell phone). Imagine you need to send a file to a client but the connection speed does not allow it or you enter a videoconference and your image freezes. It would be a very bad image for your business.

It is necessary that when you plan each trip, you investigate and make sure that the connection quality in your next accommodation is good and allows you to develop your work. The data of your smartphone’s telephone rate can save you on occasion, but not always.

4 – Have a good workspace

Working in your pajamas from your couch or bed may sound very appealing, but it’s not the most productive. If you like to work from home, make sure you have a dedicated workspace with a desk and a comfortable chair. If, on the other hand, you prefer to work outside, from coffee shops or elsewhere, make sure you have a good connection and that the place is quiet enough for you to concentrate. You can also choose coworking spaces. There are many options, it’s good to try until you find the one that makes your time more productive.
At Zamna, for example, we have both options. You can work from your room or from your terrace overlooking the cenote. Or you can work on the ‘Island’, where we have daily work tables so that people who are working can cowork with each other.

5 – Disconnect from time to time

Don’t forget to disconnect. Being a Digital Nomad is linked to spending hours and hours a day in front of the screen, so it is very important that you set yourself limits, that you define your working hours.

In your free time get away from the digital world. Go for a walk, go for a run, enjoy nature, explore the environment, get to know the culture of the place where you are. Don’t forget that you chose this lifestyle to have freedom and to get to know new places and experience other ways of life. That’s why in Zamna we have spaces for kayaking and snorkeling, we have an incredible variety of activities for you to enjoy.