Best Work Environments For Digital Nomad’s Self-discipline

And, what do you do?

I’m a digital nomad entrepreneur.

Wow! lucky you, that must be fun!

…

Well, this is one kind of conversation that I get into oftentimes. However, to be honest, others would immediately respond: “Oh that must be tough”, as soon as I mention that I work remotely as a Digital Nomad. So, like everything else, the pros and cons are there when it comes to the rising trend of Digital Nomadism. People are curious to know more about it. On the one hand, they have the desire to go for it; on the other hand, they are skeptical about its practicality. One might wonder: “Won’t my experience turn out to be just a holiday with work tasks in the back of my head all the time?”

All such open questions are legitimate when it comes to the decision of whether or not to become a remote worker in a new city or country. Well, for those who have already chosen the path of remote working and digital nomadism, the question becomes “How do I build an unshakable self-discipline that allows me to accomplish tasks and get work done?”

It is an inevitable truth that when you are free to choose where and when to work, the responsibility gets bigger and would definitely require more willpower to put forward a strategy and a functional roadmap useful for productive work.

There is more to the notion of digital nomadism than the rosy picture of a guy on their laptop on the beach or in a park. Challenges do exist, especially when it comes to the cultivation of self-discipline at work performance. There are various tips and tricks that one can put into practice to achieve efficiency and productivity goals as a remote worker.

 

Best environments to work as a digital nomad

Location and environment are central factors that can hold sway over your work-related self-discipline. Co-working and co-living spaces are considered best options; in that, they ensure the worker’s creativity and efficiency. In a new city where you know no one, working from your hotel room might feel claustrophobic and suffocating.

Changing the setting is crucial for creating momentum for your digital activity, and finding a co-working space where you can work for a number of hours you decide on is amazingly beneficial. Not only will this ease the discomfort of being in an exotic country or city where you have no family members and perhaps no friends, it will make you feel surrounded by like-minded people, at least people who like to share a space with workers from different cultures, areas, and backgrounds.

Making it a habit to frequent your desk in the coworking space everyday at a certain time will carve the routine in your mind, as it will train your subconscious mind to associate productivity and performance with the very space, which will add to your self-discipline and hone it gradually. Do not worry if during the first two weeks it might seem to you like you belong to nowhere or if you might feel unable to get work done as planned. Every adjustment to a new habit needs time and repetition to be learnt.

 

Coworking spaces for digital nomads: Stay mentally energized and socially connected

Apart from benefiting from its professional air, the co-working atmosphere is most likely to keep you in a pleasant mood, which is important for your mental health. Better still, the likelihood to meet new people during breaks and lunch times is pretty high, the more you have eye-contact and exchange greetings with others, the more this will make you feel connected to humans.

Keeping your empathy active, even through a smile to the worker sitting next to you in a working space would foster your emotional health. After all, what’s better than finding an open space where you can work and get to know other people in a different city? The benefit is two-fold. As a travelpreneur, making sure that you look for a co-working space in your destination city should be as important as planning your budget for the stay. Frequenting a specific space dedicated to work provides a sense of ease and comfort that can help overcome the fear of procrastination and boredom.

 

Co-living spaces for remote workers: work-friendly environment

An equally interesting setting that is designed especially for digital nomads and location-independent freelancers is the so-called co-living space. It remains a great communal housing solution that offers a lot more than cost-efficiency. Indeed, it is a rental solution that grants the opportunity to know, live, and connect with others.

Thanks to the new housing concept of co-living, we discover how efficient it is in shaping the silhouette of remote workers’ self-discipline. The very space is made to cater to digital nomads and freelancers; hence, it offers them principal amenities such as furnished rooms, internet, as well as an environment where work can be done. The co-living option is useful for its suitability for work conditions of nomadpreneurs and digital remote workers.

Coworking and coliving spaces are externally regulating and disciplining spaces. They are two contexts that can grant a remote worker the opportunity to expand their knowledge about the new area and its peculiarities as well as channel their intellectual energy outside the traditional 9-5 job routine.

 

Flexible and efficient self-discipline for Digital Nomads

When options like coworkings and colivings are available, homeworking might become the least of one’s go-to options for high performance during business days. Your hotel room or Airbnb space will be missed and sought as a comfortable sanctuary after a long and tiring day of work. In this case, your private space will be the cosy setting where you enjoy flexible, mindless, and mindful activities, such as hot showers, watching your favourite movies, playing your favourite video games, sleeping, and video-chatting with your friends and family members. You can still perform less heavy tasks on your laptop in your private space though, as appropriate; for instance, checking emails, or browsing some stuff.

The idea of drawing a fine line between home and work settings should be handled with great flexibility so that the goal of self-discipline can be achieved. After all, if during a rainy day, you prefer to work from your fourth-floor hotel room because you have a desk positioned for comfort and efficiency, facing a beautiful window view, allow yourself to enjoy it.

Cultivating a healthy self-discipline can be done effectively through the compromise between work and fun. Being in a new environment can be too exciting for us to focus on the actual work we have to complete. However, we can take it as an incentive. Rewarding yourself every now and then with a visit to a local museum or city sightseeing will enhance your performance and nurture your self-discipline.

 

As a digital remote worker, after experimenting with different working spaces such as coworking, coliving, and coffee shops, you will be able to establish the discipline that works best for you based on the environment that you choose for your comfort.

Have you tried the options and tips suggested above before? I personally choose to work from a co-working space, as it helps me step into my flow state to get my work done. Let us know where you prefer to work and how you cope with self-discipline as a digital nomad.