The digital nomads who stop traveling the world: why this lifestyle isn’t as easy as you think

The digital nomad has become an emblematic character of the modern era of remote work.

The term often conjures up the image of a professional writer or techie with a computer, wandering the streets of a quaint strange town or tapping into a waterside café.

They see the world, meet new people, work in their spare time.

Digital nomads are different types of workers. Some are self-employed or independent contractors; others are entrepreneurs starting their own businesses; and others work full-time in remote positions for companies around the world.

Some are salaried while others depend on income AD hoc. In general, experts say many of these workers are white collar workers — those who perform office activities — and are well-trained.

Both expert data and anecdotes prove this the number of digital nomads has been growing in recent yearswith a huge upswing after the covid-19 pandemic.

The exact number of these types of workers is hard to pin down, but a 2022 report from US consulting firm MBO Partners estimates that the number of digital nomads in the US has grown by a whopping 131% since 2019, into the millions.

In other countries where less data is available, resources abound to help unattached workers navigate their way around the world.

But a growing number of workers who have sampled the nomadic lifestyle report that behind the wanderlust-filled Instagram posts and blogs brimming with optimism, the reality of this way of life is not always so glamorous.

It has its benefits, yes, but many also confirm that the lack of bonds took its toll on their mental and physical health, even making them worse at work.

As a result, some nomads have given up this lifestyle and the view of the beach.

Panic attacks

In 2011, Lauren Juliff left her supermarket job in the UK to see the world. He created a travel website to fund his adventures. To her surprise, within a year she started earning enough to be a digital nomad.

“I loved to travel. My dream was always to see the world as much as possible, so when I made it happen I was determined to never give it up. Exploring new countries made me feel alive and I learned a lot almost daily – about new cultures and about myself,” she says.

However, after five years, the excitement of the nomadic lifestyle around the world began to wane.

Juliff, now 34, describes her journey – idyllic and dreamlike at first – as a grueling ordeal she desperately tried to escape.

Living and working while constantly on the move had unforeseen consequences for his mental and physical health.

“I started having panic attacks daily, which didn’t stop until I imagined I had a house.“, say.

Due to the lack of a stable community, he lost lasting friendships, which caused feelings of loneliness and depression. Juliff’s health suffered as he often suffered from food poisoning and infections.

Without access to a kitchen or gym, his lifestyle was unhealthy and for years he ate meals three times a day, every day, at a restaurant.

His personal life also suffered: “I had no hobbies because it was very difficult for me to maintain them while living with a backpack,” he adds.

Plus, staying productive on the go was a challenge.

Trying to manage work, explore new places and deal with often unreliable internet connections became too daunting a task.

“I struggled to run my business effectively… I worked lying on my bed because I rarely had access to a desk”.

The breaking point came when panic attacks, which she attributes to her nomadic lifestyle, prompted her to look for a home.

When he settled in Portugal and signed the lease for an apartment, Juliff saw his income triple in one year. He attributes the improvement to being consistently in one place and not constantly traveling.

Her panic attacks subsided, she joined a gym, started cooking healthy meals, and built a strong community of friends.

negative aspects

Breaking free from the nomadic lifestyle was a difficult decision for Juliff, as she had built her identity around being a full-time digital nomad.

Everything he did revolved around travel: he had a travel blog, he planned future trips in his spare time, and he had traveling friends.

“Making the decision to quit was hard,” he says. “I struggled to know who I was as a person when I wasn’t traveling full time.”

So says Beverly Thompson, a sociologist at Sienna College (US) who researches digital nomadism many people who chose the digital nomad lifestyle were not prepared for the downsidespartly because their community tends to portray an idealized image through social networks and blogs and to hide the negative aspects, such as loneliness, mental health problems and financial problems.

While some workers find it sustainable — especially, he says, those who monetize their social media lifestyle — nomadism doesn’t work for everyone who practices it.

“You are completely bound by the passport you have. You have to have a strong passport,” says Thompson, pointing out that weaker passports limit the number of countries that someone can travel to without a tourist visa.

Another reality

For Darius Foroux, who lived in an idyllic world during his first months as a digital nomad, enjoying warm weather and surrounded by palm trees on the beach, the change didn’t work out as expected.

Especially since he realized that for a good remote facility he needed a house.

When she started looking for an apartment to settle in, she discovered that the process was not that simple, with complicated legal procedures and a deadline of several months that she could not meet.

He also had to deal with the bloated real estate market in popular destinations such as Malaga and Marbella in Spain.

Rising demand had caused rents to skyrocket and there were no regulations limiting the height of rental agencies. He was also surprised by the high bond requirements and brokerage fees.

“I didn’t expect it,” he says. “I came to Spain thinking that the cost of living would be lower. But it turned out to be just as expensive as in the Netherlands. Essentially, I paid a premium for nice weather.“, he explained.

After less than six months in Spain, Foroux returned to the Netherlands, where he made plans for a more stable life and better spent the time he needed as a writer and entrepreneur.

Of course, there are many people who continue to live the life of a digital nomad. But, as some employees reveal, even those well-positioned to succeed have faced the challenges of maintaining productivity, health and personal relationships while constantly on the move.

And while the number of digital nomads has increased in recent years, according to some data, they still make up a small percentage of the world’s population and are concentrated in a few countries with low-cost passports.

“It won’t stop,” Thompson says of this trend. “The youngest can try to be digital nomads for a few years. But in general, more and more people are seeing the reality of this lifestyle.

“In addition, employers want their employees to go back to the office. So the trend will continue to grow, but it could slow down,” he concludes.

You can read this note originally published in English at BBC Worklife.