PSA: It takes a lot of self-discipline and motivation to be a successful digital nomad.
The hardest part — staying motivated to work. (Especially when you’re steps away from a postcard-worthy beach and trying to juggle work, travel admin, and whether you remembered to renew your SafetyWing insurance or not.)
But that doesn’t mean it’s not possible. Simple things like your daily routine and the right location can make a huge difference to your success as a digital nomad.
As someone who’s been a digital nomad for over 9 years now, I’ve learnt a thing or two about staying motivated as a digital nomad.
5 of which I’m about to share with you now…
The digital nomad way of life
A digital nomad is typically defined as someone who makes a living working online without a fixed location. They’re living the laptop lifestyle, typically from tropical destinations that are not their home.
Digital nomads have existed since the beginning of laptop computers and widely available internet connections.
Personally, I’ve been a digital nomad for over 9 years and remember meeting other digital nomads when I first started who’ve been living this lifestyle for much longer than me.
So many things draw people to this way of life.
For me, it was realising that I didn’t want to live in the United States anymore. I didn’t like the hustle culture, the way everyone thought the most important thing was climbing the corporate ladder.
I distinctly remember shops and restaurants closing across Italy for lunch between 12 pm and 3 pm, and thinking, ”But don’t they care about how much business they’re losing?”
The realisation that people might care more about their well-being taught me so much about how I wanted to live my life. The more I travelled, the more I learned about cultures, people, and countries that appealed to me so much more than my home in Utah.
Which brings me to this…
The number one way to stay motivated as a digital nomad is knowing that you truly want this lifestyle.
Because it takes a lot of guts, patience and resilience to actually make it work.
You need to have that passion for breaking the mould and choosing a path different to others. You also need a deep desire to travel, explore the world, and experience as many different cultures and lifestyles as possible.
5 ways to stay motivated as a digital nomad (from a seasoned digital nomad)
1 | Slow travel
Once you know you want to be a digital nomad, you need to change the way you travel. Now that you have work, you have to give yourself time to work, which means slowing down.
Slow travel is exactly that. It’s about spending a month in a city instead of a week. It’s choosing to visit two islands during your two-month stay in Greece instead of island hopping every 2-3 days.
You start looking for longer-term rentals that have a dedicated workspace and strong wifi instead of the cheapest bed in a dorm room.
And trust me, once you make this shift, it’ll start to make sense, and you’ll never want to go back to hostel dorms again.
Slow travel is a great way to stay motivated as a digital nomad because you’re giving yourself all the time you need to sightsee and get your work done.
You can easily work 4 days a week and explore the other 3. Or you can explore in the mornings and work in the evenings, depending on your schedule.
I know digital nomads who hop to a new city every month. But while they’re in that city, they rent an Airbnb and explore from there. They’ll do day trips on the weekend and dinner out in the evening. They’ll also be able to cook at home, watch movies, and unpack their bags — all the things that make you feel like you’re not constantly travelling.
I personally love to choose a location for anywhere from 6-8 weeks (as long as my visa permits it).
2 | Pick the right location
How do you know where to go? Trust me, all destinations are not created equally for digital nomads. We need things that other travellers do not – namely: the internet.
There are also lots of things that are nice to have as a digital nomad. Things like cafes you can work from, other digital nomads to connect with, and interesting activities outside of work for a good work-life balance.
Luckily for you, it’s so easy to know if a destination is going to be good for digital nomads or not. You simply need to look online. With the rise of travel, blogging, and digital nomads, few places haven’t been tested already.
For example, when Mauritius launched its ‘digital nomad visa’ a few years ago, my husband and I booked flights to test it out. And there are always people exploring the world with that in mind.
What to look for in a digital nomad destination:
- Strong internet or reliable phone data (to hotspot) — I often use an international travel eSIM, so I’m not at the mercy of dodgy hotel Wi-Fi
- Co-working spaces or cafeswhere you can work from
- Affordable (and easy to find) long-term accommodation
- Cost of living
- Good work-life balance
- Safety (especially if travelling alone)
- Other digital nomads to connect with
One resource that I love is called Nomad List. It gives community-based information on popular digital nomad locations around the world (meaning you won’t be driven by one person’s opinion of a place).
Some places that I’ve worked as a digital nomad include my van in the US, Koh Tao, Bali, Mauritius, Madeira, and so many more over the years!
3 | Create a routine
The next step is arguably the most important.
People often throw their routines out the window when they’re travelling.
It’s also the hardest step for me to maintain. When you’re always on the move, changing locations and time zones, it’s hard to stick to a morning, night, or exercise routine.
But I have found that using smart tools can really help streamline my workflow when I’m on the move. For example, if your work involves content creation, something like an AI video generator can quickly turn your written posts or ideas into videos, so you’re still getting your work done (and staying visible online), but without spending hours editing or being stuck behind your laptop all day.
If you manage to create a good travel routine, you’ll always find it easier to stay motivated as a digital nomad, no matter how busy life gets. So don’t skip this step.
How to create the ideal routine as a digital nomad:
- Create a workout routine that you can do from anywhere. For me, this means carrying resistance bands and running shoes. But this could also look like picking a destination based on how close it is to a gym.
- Simplify your morning and nighttime routine. Instead of diving into a new 10-step Korean skincare routine, choose 3-5 things that you can do each morning and night to make you feel more at home. Maybe that’s meditating for 5 minutes when you wake up and stretching for 5 minutes before you go to bed.
- Make sure you have a dedicated workspace. Trust me, this is a big one. You can’t work from bed every day. It’s so important that you create a dedicated workspace that’s separate from where you sleep. People say this should also be separate from where you eat, but I think realistically, the kitchen table is better than the bed.
- Get out of the house to work. Dedicate a few days a week to when you’ll get out of the house to work. Maybe every Monday and Wednesday, you can explore a new local cafe or co-working space to work from. This little change in your day-to-day can make a huge difference in your motivation and productivity.
- Take breaks for food. I’m a big believer in lunch breaks (and dinner breaks if I’m working late). I think it’s important to stop your work and eat. Nothing is so important that you can’t take a 30-minute lunch break.
However, you decide to structure your day, try to keep some consistency. The right routine is a great way to stay motivated as a digital nomad.
4 | Set goals (with rewards)
No matter what you do, one of the best ways to stay motivated is through (correct) goal-setting that includes rewards for yourself.
I’m a big believer in rewarding yourself. The best part about this strategy as a digital nomad is that you get to reward yourself with cool things in totally unique and different countries!
Over the years, there have been periods where I’ve struggled with my motivation as a digital nomad. Especially when I feel imposter syndrome, lost in what I do, or the location is so beautiful my work seems impossible to get done.
Today, my secret is setting tiny goals and rewarding myself along the way.
What does that look like in reality? Instead of setting a goal of 10,000 followers right away, start with a more attainable goal of 50 followers. Celebrate those 50 people who chose to follow you — and then celebrate when another 50 join the club.
Tiny goals you can set for yourself as a new digital nomad:
- Narrow down the work you want to do with these journal prompts
- Reach out to 5 potential clients
- Create 1 piece of content for your portfolio
- Follow up with 5 potential clients
- Grow 50 new followers on Instagram/TikTok
- Book a flight to your next destination
- Reach out to one potential digital nomad connection (connections are everything in this world)
Ways you could reward yourself for hitting those goals:
- Take yourself for a coffee somewhere completely new
- Book a massage
- Sign up for a yoga class you’ve been wanting to do
- Take the afternoon off to read at the beach
- Buy yourself a treat (a huge motivator)
- Watch an episode of your favourite TV show
Whatever you do, focus on tiny goals.
Don’t overwhelm yourself with huge goals that overtake your life and travel. Remember, you chose this lifestyle because you wanted to do something different from the norm.
And don’t forget to celebrate your little successes along the way!
They might look totally different from other people’s successes, but they’re meaningful to the life you’re building. Plus, celebrating your successes is a huge motivator to keep going.
5 | Use co-working spaces
I mentioned earlier that connections are so important in this world – and I was not lying.
The digital nomad lifestyle can be extremely lonely. You usually work alone, you might always work from home or cafes where no one speaks to each other, and you might have a hard time finding your community online.
My best advice: join a local co-working space.
Co-working spaces are usually spaces dedicated to digital nomads, with lots of free coffee, strong wifi, and an abundance of desks. They’ll sometimes have rooms where you can take private calls, restaurants and social events.
They’re a great way to stay motivated as a digital nomad because not only do they get you out of the house, but they also help you surround yourself with other people who are working remotely.
Having other people around you who work remotely and understand what it’s like to work remotely is a huge motivator. I have long-distance besties that I still co-work with over Zoom regularly.
I am a big believer in co-working and co-working spaces.
The best digital nomad destinations, from Koh Tao to Baja, will have co-working spaces that you can join on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. If you’re looking for a co-working space near you, head straight to Google Maps and see what’s around.
They’ll usually be able to tell you their prices, facilities, and if they have any community social events. You could buy a day pass for a couple and try them out to see what’s the right fit for you. I’ve worked in co-working spaces in Thailand, Egypt, Europe, India, Bali and Australia.
They’re a worldwide resource for us digital nomads.
Bonus | Don’t forget nomad insurance
One of the easiest ways to stay motivated as a digital nomad is knowing you’ve got backup if things start to go slightly wrong.
I use SafetyWing’s Nomad Insurance Complete plan because it covers everything from unexpected accidents and illnesses to ongoing health issues, mental health support, and even trip protection for things like lost luggage or travel delays.
Whether you’re slow-travelling through Bali or hopping between co-working spaces in Lisbon, having insurance that actually gets the digital nomad lifestyle can make a huge difference. It works for both long-term travel and when you’re settling in one place for a while. There are also add-ons for electronics coverage, which is super handy if you make a living straight from your laptop.
It’s one less thing to worry about, and more peace of mind means more energy to focus on your goals.
Save these tips on Pinterest for later:
Final thoughts
If you’re feeling motivated but haven’t started your digital nomad journey yet, that’s completely okay.
Now is a great time to get started as a digital nomad. More countries are offering digital nomad visas and there are more remote work opportunities than ever before
I recommend that if you’re looking to jumpstart your life as a digital nomad, start small (and set those tiny goals).
Next steps:
- Request your current job to allow you time to work remotely
- Start looking for remote opportunities
- Pick a destination close(ish) to home and spend a month there working remotely
- Start saving up an emergency fund (I recommend enough for 3 months of expenses)
- Plan your first big adventure and sign up for insurance!
- If you want to be a self-employed digital nomad, start looking for new clients
- Follow other digital nomads online who inspire you and help you stay motivated
- Jump on a call with Thalia to gain clarity and plan out your roadmap
About the writer
Justyn Jen is a full-time digital nomad who’s travelled the world for almost 10 years. She’s passionate about slow travel, scuba diving, and Pinterest. She currently works as a Pinterest Marketer and copywriter for busy bloggers. She also runs a travel blog where she’s dedicated to helping you plan your first trip, land your first remote job, and fully embrace an unconventional lifestyle.
Blog: justynjen.com
Instagram: instagram.com/justynjen/
Pinterest: pinterest.co.uk/justynjen/
