The digital nomad lifestyle may seem luxurious and laid-back at first, but entrepreneurs don’t have it as easy as you may think. Working for yourself does give you unparalleled freedom, but this flexibility comes at a price. Your income and success are a direct result of the amount of time you put into your projects. Balancing work and play is a constant struggle in the digital nomad lifestyle. Although you may feel tempted to put in long days and seven-day weeks, you need to balance self-care with hard work. If you put your own care aside, you may ultimately fail from sheer exhaustion.
The Struggle in the Digital Nomad Lifestyle Is Real
You know the struggle. You’ve dedicated yourself to your business and are determined to be successful. You spend hours meeting deadlines, networking, marketing, paying bills, and juggling every responsibility to stay afloat. Day after day, you expend your energy and time to perfect your business. Maybe you’ve gotten used to skipping breakfast or working through lunch. Or perhaps you’ve given up any semblance of a personal life because your business takes up too much of your time. Whatever the case may be, it’s not uncommon for entrepreneurs to put their own self-care last on the priorities list.
But putting off your self-care has real consequences. And without tending to your physical and mental health, you are certain to be headed for a nasty case of burnout from the digital nomad lifestyle.
What is Burnout?
You may have already experienced burnout without realizing it. As entrepreneurs, sometimes we pride ourselves on our ability to push through the pain. We keep working even when we’re mentally and physically exhausted. And, in many cases, that stubborn refusal to give in when you’re tired is applauded by those around you. They praise your work ethic and admire your dedication to excellence. These qualities are admirable in an entrepreneur. But the ability to accept your limitations could be the key to preventing burnout.
Some of the physical and emotional signs of burnout include the following:
- Fatigue
- Frequent headaches
- Change in appetite and sleeping habits
- Decreased immunity
- Feelings of helplessness, failure, and self-doubt
- Loss of motivation
How to Recover from Burnout
If you begin to notice some of the symptoms of burnout, it’s important to act quickly. Treat yourself to a much-deserved vacation to recharge your batteries. Your business will still be there when you get back and you’ll be better equipped to manage your business with a clear head and well-rested body.
Once you return back to work, schedule time for your self-care in your daily routine. Schedule gym time, a walk in the park, coffee with friends, or an hour of peaceful pleasure reading. Don’t forget to make good nutrition a priority as well. Eat healthy foods that give you the energy needed to run your business. By making yourself a priority, you will be more aware of your emotional and physical well-being and better able to prevent burnout in the future.
The goal for any successful entrepreneur should be to create a thriving business without sacrificing personal and family life. A healthy work-life balance requires a dedication to self-care as much as to your business. Without it, you cannot thrive as an entrepreneur living the digital nomad lifestyle.
In order to increase a healthy work-life balance, start by using the right project management tools to streamline and organize your work so that you still have time to take care of YOU.
