One of the benefits of 21st century working is the ability to work remotely. But just because it’s something more of us are able to do, doesn’t mean we know how to do it while also looking after our mental health and wellbeing.
I used to travel across England in my previous role, staying away from home a couple of nights a week quite regularly. I know from first-hand experience that when you’re travelling around for your job, you can get swept up in the excitement of being in a new place every day. This means the healthy habits you usually implement on a daily basis to protect your wellbeing can fall by the wayside.
This World Mental Health Day, I wanted to share a few tips to help you maintain your wellbeing while being a digital nomad, and remind you why it’s important to do so.
1. Try to implement strict working hours
When working remotely, you have 24-hour access to your work laptop and phone. While it can be helpful to have these to hand for work-related emergencies, it can trigger unhealthy habits that impact our wellbeing. This often takes the shape of starting work early or finishing well beyond your contracted hours, which ultimately affects your ability to maintain a work/life balance.
As someone who used to struggle with this myself, and suffered the consequences, I now make a conscious effort to adhere to my contracted hours as much as possible. Even if you only try it for a couple of weeks, the positive impact it has on your overall wellbeing will be sure to convince you to keep it up.
Although you’re away from home and may not be able to do the things you’d usually do when you finish work, don’t use that as an excuse to overwork!
If you are working with people who are in a different time zone, ensure that you’re not regularly working beyond the hours you’ve set yourself. Yes, there will be times when there needs to be an overlap in your working hours so you can arrange calls and have discussions on time sensitive issues, but given the time difference, you can’t be expected to be available at every hour of the day – that’s both unrealistic and unreasonable.
Similar to how you’d manage expectations of those who you work with in a similar time zone, be clear with them from the offset that you’ll only work outside of these hours in exceptional circumstances e.g if there is an emergency that needs immediate attention.
Image source:Windows / unsplash
2. Find adaptable ways for staying fit
Fitness has always been an important part of my life, especially for my mental health. However, it is something I struggled to maintain when I first started working remotely. Thankfully there are a number of ways you can stay fit while you’re away from home.
There are a growing number of fitness apps that can guide you through a workout on demand – and many of them are reasonably inexpensive too.
Although we’re used to thinking of effective fitness equipment as big, bulky items like dumbbells or barbells, there is a more travel friendly option too. Resistance bands are great for helping to build strength and because of how lightweight they are, they’re easy to pack too.
Prefer a gym environment? If you’re working remotely, many gym chains offer memberships where you can access other sites, making it easier to stay fit on the go.
And lastly, if you’re working abroad, you have an exciting opportunity to explore all that is available on your doorstep while staying physically active at the same time. Why not walk, run or cycle around the local area to immerse yourself in all the region has to offer. Or you could get involved in an activity that you wouldn’t be able to do at home such as dance classes, surfing or kayaking – just to name a few!
3. Nurture your interests
Our hobbies and interests play such an important role in helping us to enhance and protect our wellbeing. That’s why it’s important to find a way to keep them up while working remotely. Having a set time for taking part in hobbies and interests will also help to ensure that you stick to the work/life balance I mentioned earlier.
If being creative is important to you, find out if there are any arts or crafts classes taking place that you could join.Not only are all the supplies usually provided, but they can also be reasonably inexpensive.
Reading is one of the most travel friendly hobbies you can have but it isn’t a hobby that is relegated to your hotel room. Consider setting up camp in a café or quiet bar instead.
If, like me, you love learning languages, travelling for work presents you with a unique opportunity to meet new people while practising your language skills. Find local language groups where you can practise your listening and speaking skills or consider attending an evening class.
Image source:getty images / unsplash
4. Maintain a good sleep routine
As someone who doesn’t have the best sleep hygiene, this is something I struggle with the most.But there are a few things you can do as a digital nomad to practise good sleeping habits when working remotely.
This can be really difficult to do when working remotely, especially when it involves a number of social events in the evening, but try to stick to a strict bedtime routine. It can be easy to lose track of time at work social events so consider setting reminders on your phone if you need to.
Limiting your caffeine consumption to the morning and early afternoons is important for maintaining a healthy sleep routine. It can be tempting to reach for a coffee or an energy drink when you’re feeling burnt out from all the travelling but staying hydrated is just as important for boosting your energy levels. Opt for water instead in the late afternoons and evenings if you need a boost.
I mentioned the importance of being physically active earlier but people don’t often realise just how much of an impact it can have on the quality of your sleep too. Not only can it help you to manage stress, but it can also improve your chances of reaching the levels of deep sleep that are needed to help effectively rejuvenate the brain.
5. Enforce boundaries in your social life
Just because you’re working remotely and may be temporarily based in a location where a friend or a family member lives does not mean you have to say yes to every opportunity that is presented to you.
This is a trap I fell into when I was working remotely. I would feel guilty for not seeing people when I was working near to them. But I can tell you from personal experience that this is a guaranteed ticket to burn out.
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned for improving and maintaining my wellbeing is that my needs are just as important as everyone else’s. This is an empowering mindset I highly encourage you to embrace too and remember when working remotely.
Image source:Thought Catalogue / unsplash
6. Eating well
Trying to uphold healthy eating habits while working remotely can feel impossible. You can often feel like you’re a slave to whatever is available. As a vegetarian, I feel this more often than most!
However, there are a few ways you can eat well while being a digital nomad.
Consider packing your own grain bars, nuts or dried fruit. Not only are they easy to transport, but having these to hand will prevent you from reaching for an easily accessible but unhealthy option.
Although working away from home can feel like you’re on holiday, it is best not to adopt that mindset. Try not to drink more alcohol than you would if you were working from home and opt for a balanced meal in the evening like you’d cook for yourself at home, too.
Don’t just opt for the ‘food-to-go’ aisle at the convenience store. They don’t always have the most nutritious options or cater to all dietary requirements. I’d recommend exploring the fruit and vegetable aisles too, perhaps finding a dip to pair them with. I’ll also try and take a look at the picnic section where you might find some convenient but well-balanced options, such as a bean salad, olives and kimchi.
