Working and collaborating remotely traveling the world, as well as being an extraordinary life experience, is also a real opportunity to be more productive, more motivated and more satisfied.
To testify it is a study entitled: The Future 100: Trends and Change to Watch in 2018, conducted by the famous American research agency J. Walter Thompson Intelligence.
For many it might be a surprise to know that, unlike the labels, most of the digital nomads are not made of young “under 30”, does not live constantly around the world with a backpack on his shoulders, is not composed only of singles and does not work exclusively as a freelancer.
In May 2016 (and already three years have passed), it was published the data from a survey conducted on a sample of over 500 digital nomads around the world that helps to disavow this belief.
In fact, this survey showed that only 29% of them are aged between 26 and 30, while 33% of digital nomads are over 30 (31-36 years old) and, surprisingly, 18% aged between 37 and 45, as well as a 5% aged between 45 and 70 years.
Most of the respondents (64%) also stated that they do not do freelance work, that they are not constantly traveling, but stay in a country for a long time (a few months) and always keep a “base” where they can do return.
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Why Do More And More People In The World Choose To Become Digital Nomads?
Working without space constraints means being able to choose the place to work from and at the same time, having the opportunity to make new experiences, learn new countries and cultures, experience new ways of living that make us feel freer and happier.
Not only. Working remotely from different places, as well as being an extraordinary experience of life, is also a real opportunity to return to being more productive and more satisfied with our work and our lifestyle.
You could find yourself living in extremely cold areas of North of Canada, where the temperature in some cities can reach the astonishing figure of -50 C. Just think that here people need to install a system like HeatLine.com to protect water pipes from freezing. Or, you can choose the sunny Florida, where you can experience warm temperatures all the year. If you think of moving there (even for a few months), consider that there are great movers in Bradenton.
Another advantage linked to the phenomenon of digital nomadism, is the possibility for companies that adopt “remote working” as a primary mode of work, to be able to access the best human resources and the best talent in the world regardless of the place or country in which they are found, without having to find them or have them available locally.
There are more and more “remote-friendly” companies in the world where everyone is free to work from the place he prefers.
Why Working Remotely Can Increase Your Productivity?
Having the freedom to move elsewhere and to choose the world as an office can seem like a paradox for those who have always sought happiness in permanence, security and stability in the permanent job and have always considered the office as the workplace ideal!
The truth is that beyond the usual clichés about flexibility and the fact that the fixed and guaranteed place no longer exists, is the very idea of working for a lifetime sitting behind the same desk, or in the same company, to not be more current and not even what most people aspire to today.
The truth is that many people feel more and more urgent the need to free themselves from the rigidity and the constraints imposed by traditional work, the obligation of a fixed physicality, pre-established schedules and obligations of presence.
Young people, in particular, feel a strong inner drive towards the realization of personal projects, they feel the need to test themselves, to make international experiences, to grow personally and professionally, to know new realities and to connect with other people.
Remote work has strengthened this trend, because working remotely does not mean just working from home, but it means being able to work from anywhere.
So, why working remotely as a digital nomad, as well as a wonderful life experience, can help us to return to being more productive and more satisfied with our work?
1. Freedom
The main motivation that today pushes more and more people to free themselves from the constraints of a traditional job and to work remotely, is first of all the desire to feel freer.
Free to organize their lives, free to express their talent, free to choose the place and time to devote to work, modeling them according to their ideal lifestyle and their needs. Using team time off calendar may help you and your coworkers organize perfect working environment for efficient communication.
This means that for many, freedom is an important value.
To be fully satisfied and to give your best, you should live and act always aligned with your guiding values. If freedom is an important value, you should have experiences that make you feel truly free to get out of the routine that threatens to suffocate what you are and what you would like to be.
Always living in the same place, working closed for 8-10 hours a day in the same place, whether at home or in the office, in this case, does not make much difference, it is certainly not the best way to feed your need for freedom.
On the contrary: moving through different places, traveling inside and outside our physical and mental boundaries, taking time during the day to meet your personal needs, confronting different cultures, developing new enabling relationships in places that facilitate this process, is the best way to feel free.
Fulfilling your need for freedom will greatly increase your self-esteem and this will make you feel more confident and better at what you do.
2. Happiness
There is a clear and clear connection between happiness and productivity.
It is proven that positive emotions can increase the quality and quantity of productivity at work.
When you talk about happiness at work, there are many different aspects that must be taken into consideration. One of the places and spaces where to work is undoubtedly one of these.
The truth is that to increase your productivity and to live better, you should always work in those places where you feel happier.
Remote work gives you the opportunity to work anywhere. The house, the coworking space, the sea, the mountains, the countryside, the city, these happy places are not static but are changing according to the cycle you are experiencing.
Being in the right place at the right time means knowing how to listen to what you need at that moment to feel comfortable, in harmony with yourselves and with the context that surrounds you. In this case, nature and the ecosystem in which you dive can be a great resource, if used in the right way.
Think for a moment about the places where you felt particularly good in the past. This will start to give you an idea of what the places could be working better and be happier and more productive.
3. Creativity
Creativity is a skill that you can no longer do without today.
The current world of work needs professional figures who are able to combine creative thinking and technology, in different but increasingly interconnected sectors.
In January 2016, the World Economic Forum published a report entitled “The Future of Jobs and Skills” presenting the skills that, from now until 2020, will become indispensable in the world of work.
In the first three places, you can find: complex problem solving (ability to act autonomously to solve problems), critical thinking and creativity.
Psychologists and neuroscientists have shown that moving through different places, traveling, interacting with new people and new cultures is an enabling step to develop new ideas, nourish our creativity and develop critical thinking.
The reason is simple: creativity is connected with neuroplasticity, or with the ability of our brain to change. Neural pathways are influenced by the environment and habits, which means that they are also sensitive to change.
New landscapes, new sounds, smells, languages, tastes, new sensations and points of view, trigger different synapses in your brain and have the ability to revitalize your mind. Creativity only improves through immersion, involvement and adaptation to new experiences.
These are the three main reasons to work remotely, moving through different places can help you to be more productive and more satisfied with your work and your lifestyle.
But there is another important aspect that you must necessarily take into account because this is part of the needs of every human being and is the need to create constructive and enabling relationships,
Therefore, it is necessary to develop a new paradigm that allows you to feel at home in different places, to do all this in a simple way, activating the power of the relationship as the engine of everything.
And you, are you working remotely?
Please share your experience here and leave your comment below, thanks!
Ryan K Biddulph says
I know a digital nomad who lives a cool like Erik 🙂
Sajid Akhter says
Good post. Working remotely certainly sets you free from the normal routine of 9 to 5 jobs. It sets you free and lets you work at your hours. It creates an environment of contentment when you are allowed to work according to your time table. I love this blogger’s life and the happiness that it brings by sharing my thoughts and ideas with fellow bloggers.
Thanks for sharing, have a good day.
Lisa Sicard says
Hi Erik, I’m loving the remote working! And I’m not in the younger crowd. I love the flexibility and freedom it offers. I also find I can come up with some really creative work while travelling or on the back of a snowmobile or on a zipline. It gives you time and space to think. Of course I get up in the wee hours of the a.m. to get my work done or prepare ahead of time and pull 18 hour days.
It’s so worth it! I’d recommend it to most. I see Ryan here, he’s the most travelled blogger I know and does it so well!
Elvis Michael says
I was going to post my own standalone reply, but you stole the words right out of my mouth, Lisa 🙂
I’ve been working remotely for over ten years now, and it’s probably the best decision / move of my entire life so far. Granted, it’s not for everyone (some people just don’t have the discipline), but the lifestyle truly is heavenly for those who DO have self-control and can take their work seriously.
Later!
Elvis
Stuart Broad says
Yes great, it gives lot of peace. i have been working remotely for 3 years now, no commuting, no tensions and even i declined couple of good jobs. money is not everything :0
Nick Boyle says
There are few tools needed to increase productivity for remote working. Like I use project management tool like assembla, for communication Slack and PureVPN dedicated IP for whitelisting and accessing accounts while travelling with the same ip address.