How is digital nomad life

One of the most attractive jobs of the new era is being a digital nomad. These individuals are considered free-spirited professionals that can do just any job from everywhere in the world. Not being tied up to an office chair gives them the freedom to choose their working hours, their vacation days and their remote ‘office’, which can be a long rental Villa in the sunny Algarve.

It’s quite a new concept, a professional adventure that many people like to take a dip in. It is someone who gets to travel and work, meet new people and enjoy the many perks that the job brings. But that does not come without any challenges. So, what are the pros and cons of being a 21st-century location-independent?

Pros Digital Nomad

Being able to work any place and time they want

One of the most attractive and most obvious benefits of working as a digital nomad is being able to choose where and when they want to work. People who live such a lifestyle are not obliged to work in an office or answer to a manager, so this perk gives them the right to pick their working location. It can be right in some café on the corner, a local restaurant, a white sanded beach or a rented villa in some amazing destination.

Also, being a digital nomad means that one gets to choose when they want to work. Not being susceptible to the whole 9-5 concept, gives them the ability and the freedom to work early in the morning, or late in the night, taking as many breaks as they might need or want. They get to plan work around their life, not the other way around. However, according to many, their working hours are far longer than people may think.

Travelling and exploring

Having a nomadic lifestyle means travelling, sometimes even a lot. Though this might not be a perk for everyone, especially for people who like the stability and the risk-free environment of a regular office job, it is quite the benefit for more adventurous souls. However, remote workers are not obliged to travel all of the time. They can stay at a certain place as much as they want. Being always on the go is true for them as much as they wish it to be.

For example, many choose to opt for long term rentals in Algarve, Portugal, and stay there even for a year. The Quinta dos Vales is known to have been the home of many such individuals as it is close enough to the ocean and the cities, yet remote enough to provide the intimacy and peace that the digital nomad needs. With a plethora of amenities such as swimming in two large outdoor pools, tennis, paddle tennis, mini-golf and more physical activities, individuals can let go of their work and clear their minds during their free time, lunchtime, after long hours or at weekends.

According to them, the estate’s premium wine is just the perfect cherry on top because the management has also prepared many wine-related activities too. Several of them include solo wine tastings, learning to blend their own wine, many workshops that dive into the world of premium wine, and so on. They all agree that watching the sun setting behind the vine slopes while enjoying a glass or two is a blissful experience.

However, those that are travellers and adventurers at heart – don’t actually need to go far to enjoy many more activities. The venue has something called “Discover the Algarve” which allows exploring what lies beyond the estate.

Freedom

Working and living independently gives nomads a sense of complete and utmost freedom. By being tied up only to a laptop or a phone, they can do any job they want at the time and in the place they desire. Not having managers to respond to can be quite liberating, they say. Being free is a perk that no office environment or no salary can buy. It’s not just a job, it is a mindset and a lifestyle.

Cons digital nomad

Despite all the freedom and liberty, living a nomad lifestyle can sometimes be bittersweet. It has as many cons as it has perks and it’s not always magical and dreamy. Contrary to popular belief, being a digital nomad is not always sipping cocktails on the beach, swimming with the dolphins or exploring ancient cities.

Always on the verge of burnout

Emotional burnout is nothing new to nomads and freelancers. Always looking for their new source of income, they tend to take many jobs at the same time, which more often than not leads to exhaustion and ultimately, burnout. True, they can work whenever they want, but that doesn’t mean that they get to work short hours.

Quite the contrary, having a job that’s unstable, means that they have to put in long hours, all-nighters and sometimes even work twice as much as they usually would if they had a regular office job. The additional stress of not having a guaranteed source of income just adds to the increased risk they are prone to. However, after years of experience, this balances out as the digital nomads have established themselves as professionals, which creates a steady flow of clients.

Living away from their loved ones

This is one of the hardest truths that this job brings. When embarking on such an adventure, as being a remote worker, one must accept that they will be leading a life away from their family and friends. Sure, they will get to meet a lot of new people on a daily basis, but they will still miss their old friends and family. It’s one of the most challenging parts of this lifestyle. But in essence, they make their own rules and dictate how long they wish to stay away.

Financial instability

Not knowing where their new source of income is coming from is one of the cons of living a location-independent life. The cons of a digital nomadic lifestyle are the many surprises that they face on a daily level since they are travelling to new countries all the time. Their incomes and expenses vary and this can be quite challenging, especially for newcomers. Still, as previously mentioned, with experience comes security, so this can be more true for those that are just starting this journey.

However, if you are a digital nomad or if you are thinking of becoming one, exploring the South of Portugal is something to keep in mind.

Quinta dos Vales is one of the top-rated, most attractive resorts that offer many good value renting accommodation options for tourists and freelancers, many amenities, breathtaking landscapes, a friendly climate and numerous tax benefits. Check their website to find out more.

This text was originally published in: https://www.portugalresident.com/pros-and-cons-of-being-a-digital-nomad/