The power of doing nothing

Let's address the elephant in the room. I'm talking about that (not-so-healthy) constant pressure to hustle as digital nomads.

When meeting other nomads around the world, I'm sure you also have noticed that we all have that in common.

We always feel like we need to be searching for the next project, the next client, the next way to fund our lifestyle (and our travels).

I get it. I've been there multiple times.

But that relentless drive can get exhausting. I've found myself working long hours, even while surrounded by breathtaking scenery, beautiful beaches or tropical jungles. Because somewhere in the back of my mind, there was a voice saying, "You need to make this work."

But here's the thing I've been realizing:

Sometimes, that single-minded focus hurts us more than it helps.

When we forget to take a break, to just be, we stifle our creativity and put our mental health at risk.

The irony is, it's often when we step away from the grind that our best ideas come to us. We see connections we hadn't noticed before. We find inspiration in unexpected places.

And guess what? That renewed energy and inspiration translates directly into the kind of work that makes us stand out, attracts new clients, gets us praised by our remote team, or gets the business opportunities we so much crave.

I'm still learning this myself.

Heck, I'm writing this newsletter on a day I was supposed to take off. But it's a shift I'm actively trying to make. I've been building in more time for just doing nothing, a walk with no destination, an afternoon in a coffee shop, just people-watching, even just staring out the window. It's during those moments that my mind feels like it can finally reset, process, and recharge.

Productivity isn't the ultimate goal; it's the creativity and joy we find along the way.

Being a digital nomad is about more than making money. It's about living an expansive and adventurous life.

So, as you hustle this week, remember: sometimes the best hustle is none at all.

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Written by Luca Mussari

Digital nomad and co-founder of Freaking Nomads. After leaving a corporate job in London, I co-created Freaking Nomads to inspire others to embrace remote work and find happiness wherever they go.

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