Confessions Of A Digital Nomad: Four Reasons Digital Nomads Live Happier Lives

Published on August 10, 2017 - By Robert Kropp

Happiness, as with most things, is in the eye of the beholder.

The freedom and ability to live anywhere in the world as a digital nomad is what drives me and has helped me experience some of the happiest moments of my life.

It took me a while to get here, and although not every day is perfect or as positive and productive as I’d like; being a digital nomad has eliminated various common stresses from my life.

And if you ask me…

…less stress = more happiness.

1. Because I get to choose where I work and live, I no longer worry about commuting.

2. I also don’t accumulate things or feel the need to keep up with the Joneses. Those desires are pretty much gone. In the past year, I’ve reduced what I own by half. It’s minimalism — to an extent. I am, after all, traveling most of the year.

As a result, my life has become more about the journey than the destination.

3. Even ‘bad’ or challenging days feel good because I am doing what I love.

4. By working out of coworking and shared spaces, I am also able to surround myself with wonderful communities of people .

Check out this article if you are curious What Day 1 as a Digital Nomad Looks Like.

These communities have become the backbone of my friendship group, support structure, business opportunities, and overall happiness in whatever corner of the world I find myself in. It doesn’t matter where I am, a coworking space is a workplace that is more like a home away from home than a place I “have to go to work to”.

Many people wait to find happiness when they go home, but I find the right workplace with the right coworkers can provide an incredible amount of satisfaction and happiness. The workplace doesn’t have to be a place to dread driving to in the morning and speed away from in the evening.

“Many people wait to find happiness when they go home, but I find the right workplace with the right coworkers can provide an incredible amount of satisfaction and happiness.”

As I speak with more people about the benefits of working remotely and being a digital nomad, I have noticed more companies are starting to open the door to this possibility. I applaud these companies.

We are not all satisfied with the status quo of traditional offices. I have met so many people who are interested in the future of work outside of centralized offices. Maybe these are in a coworking space closer to home, or maybe they’re even in another part of the world.

I recently read an article about a 60 year old woman who is a digital nomad in Bali. Unlike many people her age, she decided to take some of the biggest risks and largest jumps later in her life.

The digital nomad lifestyle of choice and freedom is one that breeds happiness. It drives me to push forward and create something bigger than myself. I urge everyone to seek happiness and push the boundaries of the boxes they’ve created in life, whether that is becoming a digital nomad, starting their own business, or simply embarking on a project that’s been put on hold for too long.