Have you ever imagined what it would be like to work remotely ANYWHERE in the world?

The idea of being tied to a single location is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. With the rise of remote work and advanced technology, it’s now possible to work from virtually anywhere in the world. Imagine if you had the opportunity to work in your favourite city, whilst getting to explore on the weekends or sitting and working outside a cafe in the gorgeous sunshine?

Surprisingly, this newfound flexibility “work from anywhere in the world” is not just a dream for the adventurous; it’s an attainable reality for professionals across various industries.

In this blog, I’ll explore the exciting world of remote work and highlight some of the amazing benefits working remotely from anywhere in the world has to offer.

Being able to work anywhere in the world is not the same as WFH

Just to be clear, fully remote work is not the same as work from home positions.

“Remote work is a working style that allows professionals to work outside of a traditional office environment. It is based on the concept that work does not need to be done in a specific place to be executed successfully.” https://www.remoteyear.com/blog/what-is-remote-work

Even though you can find readily available work from home positions where you can work from the comfort of your home or in a shared working space, these positions do not allow you to work from anywhere in the world, which fully remote jobs do.

How do I find fully remote jobs?

It is now easier than ever to find fully remote positions which give you the opportunity to work in a different country.

Here’s a list of some companies that offer remote work;

• Cambly is an online teaching platform where you can work from pretty much anywhere in the world. I was living in Vietnam at the time of Covid-19 in 2020. I moved from the capital city to a beautiful town called Hoi An and started working on the Cambly platform. One of the main advantages of working on this platform is that you are classed as self-employed. If you want to take a week off, you just block out your schedule with no questions asked. https://www.cambly.com/tutor/signup?lang=en

• Circle is a fully remote company with 130+ team members based out of 30+ countries in the world. They offer roles in sales, marketing, engineering and product design.https://circleco.notion.site/Circle-Careers-223a15ea312c4922b793593d07add7fe

• Zapier is spread across 18 time zones with a range of positions to choose from, including operations, technical support and marketing. https://zapier.com/jobs

• Uscreen have been 100% remote since 2016. You can find positions in web design and content writing. https://www.uscreen.tv/careers/

• Test Gorilla has a 100% remote structure and has a range of remote positions including SEO and customer success.https://www.testgorilla.com/careers/

• Invisible offers a magnitude of roles with the freedom of remote work including finance, operations and client service. https://www.invisible.co/join-us

• Toggl have a range of fully remote work positions in software development.
• https://toggl.com/jobs

• Join Sketch where you can work remotely in design jobs such as web design and building apps. https://www.sketch.com/about-us/#careers

• Superside has been remote since day 1 and offers remote positions in technology, product design, and customer success. https://careers.superside.com/jobs

• Smart dreamers have some fully remote positions in marketing and engineering. https://www.smartdreamers.com/careers#jobslisting

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Do I have the right skills to work in a different country?

Adaptability and flexibility

You should be able to adapt to different cultural norms and working styles to be able to effectively work in a different country. Consider that you may need to adjust your working hours to accommodate time zone differences.

If you have worked in a range of environments and demonstrated flexibility in your home country, I can’t see this being a major issue. You should also be confident in adapting to new challenges and finding strategies to overcome them.

Strong Communication Skills

You should be able to communicate clearly with your colleagues. This may be more of a challenge if you are in different time zones. Remember to inform your colleagues about progress or specific issues regarding important projects.

Independence and Initiative

Being able to work independently, make decisions without constant guidance and show initiative to start projects will help you to work remotely in a productive way. Problem solving and creative thinking are also skills which will come in handy.

Emotional Intelligence

Living in a different country is not always easy especially if you’re alone. I’ve done it and it’s swings and roundabouts. You won’t always be living your best life. Be ready to deal with isolation, adapt to new cultures and manage stress effectively.

What are the benefits of working remotely anywhere in the world?

In addition to choosing where exactly you live, there are also many benefits which may lead to a better quality of life.

Geographic freedom

Basically, you can choose a country to live in which suits your lifestyle preferences, culture, passions and interests. For me, it’s being near the ocean. When I’m on a beach, I’m at my happiest because it helps me to be more mindful and appreciate what I have in life. That laid back way of living is EVERYTHING!

However, if you are serious about working anywhere in the world, it’s important to note that different countries have different visa opportunities. Unfortunately, you can’t just rock up to a country of your choice and start working. If only life was that easy eh?

Financial freedom

Food and energy prices in the UK have risen quite drastically in the last few years. In particular, gas prices have risen in response to the conflict in Ukraine. Global recovery from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has put further pressure on prices.

Consequently, times are hard in the UK and I think a lot of people are feeling it. The rise in rental prices and the mortgage process in the UK makes it quite difficult to live comfortably.

Therefore, single people who have an average salary are just working to live. That does not sound fun and it makes me mad that so many people in the UK are in this position.

I lived in Vietnam from 2017 to 2020

The wage is considered to be average in the UK. Despite earning an average salary, my life was anything but average. I lived in a beautiful apartment, ate out most nights, got a taxi to and from work every day (I worked 30 minutes from where I lived) and I went abroad every three months.

At no point did I struggle or have to budget! It just wasn’t a thing and I lived a very comfortable life. I didn’t have to worry about which bills were coming out of my account because I only had to worry about electricity, WIFI and water which were not expensive. There was always money in my account and I certainly wasn’t living paycheck to paycheck.

There is no way I could do that if I lived in England during the same period. Now it’s a WHOLE DIFFERENT STORY. The thought of living by myself on my current salary scares the crap out of me.

Evidently, relocating to a different country opens up a chance to live life without struggling financially.

Improved well-being

From my experience, working in a warmer climate enhances well-being. I felt so much happier waking up to sunshine and getting outdoors, instead of staying indoors to avoid the cold.

Increased Outdoor Activity

Being in a warmer climate encourages more outdoor activities, leading to increased physical exercise.

Regular exercise is associated with numerous health benefits, including improved cardiovascular health, weight management, and better mental health.

I love walking, as it gives me a sense of peace and calms my mind. However, I find it hard to get outdoors in the winter and instead, I stay indoors like a hermit.

Vitamin D Production

Getting that sunlight on your skin helps the body produce vitamin D, which is essential for bone health, immune function, and mood regulation. Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to depression and other health issues. I can vouch for that.

Less illness

Warmer climates typically have lower cases of cold-related illnesses, such as the flu and hypothermia. This means that you won’t be sick as often. In my three years of living in Vietnam, I think I had a cold/flu two or three times and it only lasted about 4 days.

Mood Booster

Sunlight exposure increases the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter associated with mood regulation. Higher serotonin levels can lead to improved mood and also reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety. I’m in such a good mood as I’m writing this blog because it’s a sunny day.

Reduced symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

The consistent sunlight that we get from warmer climates can help reduce the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder. SAD is a type of depression that occurs at certain times of the year, usually in the winter when there is less natural light.

Let me tell you I struggle like you wouldn’t believe. I’m a happy person but pretty miserable in the winter.

Relaxed environment

Warmer weather is more likely to create a relaxed lifestyle.

This lifestyle is associated with outdoor leisure activities like beach visits, picnics, exploring and social gatherings. This can contribute to lower stress levels and better mental well-being.

Affordable places to work remotely now

• Albania
• Greece
• Georgia
• North Macadonia
• Portugal
• Morocco
• Mexico
• Columbia
• Argentia
• Indonesia
• Philipinnes
• Thailand
• Vietnam

Numbeo Data

https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/rankings_by_country.jsp

The United Kingdom is the 27th most expensive place to live out of 146 countries, so it’s pretty far up in that list. Food for thought!

Conclusion

While office work remains the norm in today’s society, remote work is becoming more popular. With companies across the globe, only offering remote positions, this new trend will gain status in its own right. There are also a significant amount of countries that are offering digital nomad visas to make the process of relocating to a different country easier than ever.

If you are adaptable, flexible, independent and can use your own initiative, fully remote work could work for you. Why not get out of your comfort zone and experience something that could potentially change your life?

Another thing to consider is the benefits which working remotely in a different country can bring.

When choosing to relocate and work remotely, you will have more geographic and financial freedom as well as seeing improvement in your well-being.

As with anything in life, there will also be cons that you will need to consider. If you relocate to a different country alone, you may miss your family and friends so much that the life-changing decision you made, may not be worth it.