by Charlie
During the promotion of the Digital Nomad lifestyle, many people will ask how to address loneliness. Today, I’d like to share a few practical strategies that I hope will shed some light on the subject.
First, we need to understand two forms of socialization: cold socialization and warm socialization. Cold socialization refers to interacting with strangers with whom one has absolutely no social connection, such as seeing an attractive stranger on the subway and attempting to talk to him or her and get contact information. This form of socialization is often accompanied by a deep-seated human fear, which is determined by our evolutionary history. In primitive societies, contact with strangers could mean danger, so humans developed a fear of cold socialization.
In contrast, warm socialization is interactions that build on pre-existing social relationships. For example, in school, classmates already have basic social relationships with each other because of the common learning environment. Therefore, the most effective way for digital nomads to make new friends is to place themselves in a warm social environment with pre-established social relationships.
So, what are the right warm social scenarios for digital nomads? Here are a few ways to help you connect with others:
- 1. Participate in sports activities**. Especially team sports because they naturally establish you as a “teammate” with others. I always take a frisbee with me when I travel and have made many like-minded friends by organizing frisbee events on local social media platforms. In some cities where travelers gather, such as Chiang Mai, there are already well-established sports communities, and joining them is a good choice.
- 2. Join a course**. Whether it’s a language class, a cooking class, or an art class, these classes allow you to bond naturally with your classmates. Socializing becomes easy and natural through a shared learning experience. Additionally, some programs can provide you with an educational visa that will allow you to stay at your destination for an extended period of time.
- 3. Digital Nomads 3C**. 3C refers to Shared Workspaces (Coworking), Co-Living Spaces (Coliving) and Conferences (Conferences). While these platforms are ostensibly for work, lodging, or sharing experiences, they actually provide excellent socialization opportunities for digital nomads. You can find people with similar life philosophies to your own here.
- 4. Join a tour**. While I don’t really recommend group tours from a personalized travel perspective, group travel allows you to make new friends quickly from a social perspective. Traveling, eating, and enjoying the sights with a group of people are all opportunities to create connections. There are also self-organized short trips or picnics in places where hobos gather, which can be a new social scene.
Overall, making like-minded friends is a low-probability event, but by increasing the frequency of socializing, we can improve our chances of finding a soulmate. Hopefully these methods will help you find more warmth and companionship in your digital nomad life.
