With rising living expenses and the desire to explore the world, more people are engaging in the digital nomad lifestyle. According to a report on digital nomadism, northern Europeans make up a large proportion of remote workers— with British people making up 8% of those working while travelling. Being a digital nomad can be a rewarding experience, with some people staying in countries for as long as six months to a year.
Given the long-term stay, it’s important that digital nomads take good care of their health. It can be easy to get caught up in the environment and let yourself go in terms of exercise, diet, and other health habits. To keep you on track, here are some ways you can improve and maintain your health as a digital nomad.
Set health goals
When it comes to losing weight, many people set high goals and take drastic action, such as cutting out a huge portion of their calories. But even if they successfully lose weight they often bounce back to their set point weight, which is the weight baseline their body is predisposed to. When you go under this level, your body triggers adaptations to return you to your previous weight, like an increased appetite— leading to weight regain. To successfully lose weight, you must recalibrate your habits to allow your body to adapt and lower your set point weight.
One habit you should foster is setting realistic weight loss goals that you can work towards. Rather than setting the bar too high, make them smaller and more achievable to help you stay motivated. This can help you sustain good habits in the long term for the benefit of weight loss and overall health.
Try flexible exercise routines
It can be challenging to maintain fitness while travelling. While some hotels may provide a gym or swimming pool where you can work out, budget stays tend not to have the same perks. But rather than rely on physical locations to determine when your exercise, it’s important to create a fitness routine that doesn’t involve equipment. Some exercises that you can do almost anywhere include jogging, walking, and using your body weight.
In addition to improving overall physical fitness, continuous exercise can boost your mood. In particular, researchers found that aerobic exercises can reduce levels of anxiety— which can be helpful to combat the stress of changing places often as a digital nomad. You can either stick to one type of exercise or switch your routine, depending on your preferences.
Maintain a positive work-life balance
Many remote workers have more sporadic work schedules compared to the average office worker, which can take a toll on your mental health. This problem may be exacerbated by different time zones, as digital nomads may need to work irregular hours to accommodate their clients in different time zones. If you overwork yourself, you run the risk of mental burnout.
To give yourself some stability and work-life balance, it’s best to find a way to establish a routine and maintain working hours for yourself. As we visited in our previous post, sometimes you need to take a break to reset your focus. Have some time off to re-energise and set boundaries with your work. It also helps to be able to contact your loved ones can be comforting and give you the strength to keep up with your dynamic lifestyle. This can ensure you enjoy your travels and not be overwhelmed by work.
Travelling as a digital nomad can make it tricky to sustain healthy habits. But if you set aside time and consistently follow the above-mentioned methods, you can improve and maintain your health during your travels.
