Constantly moving, not getting to know the societies in which you live, and many hours of solitude are the price that those who choose this life must pay.
With the rise of remote work and increasingly secure and accessible internet connections, many young people have considered a nomadic lifestyle: that is, they do not live in any city, travel everywhere, and work digitally for companies that hire them.
Between trips, they settle somewhere and are glued to their computers and smartphones, which sounds idyllic. But they don’t stroll on beaches and castles or in the mountains. They work, usually more than 8 hours, and every time they face a change, they have to move to shared rooms, guesthouses, or whatever they can find, always carrying little baggage and without attachments.
This life does not allow for furniture, decorations, paintings, pets, or stable friends. In fact, the Passport Photo Online app published a study called “The Dark Side of Being a Digital Nomad,” where a thousand people shared their experiences.
Permanent Connection
One of the most common problems these workers face is the difficulty in disconnecting from work. The line between personal and professional life becomes blurred when working from different locations and in different time zones.
When it comes to taking a walk or meeting people, they hold back. “83% of remote workers feel guilty for taking time off or disconnecting from work,” the study states. The constant pressure to always be available and the need to meet deadlines can lead to a sense of exhaustion and chronic stress.
The lack of clear boundaries can make it difficult to enjoy moments of rest and relaxation, negatively affecting the quality of life of digital nomads.
Many are always “connected” and need to prove to the companies that hire them that it is worth having them, so they show themselves available 24/7 and can develop burnout and work addiction.
This further limits personal relationships, as the nomad is not in the city where they grew up nor do they have relatives or friends nearby. Much less time to socialize with new people. This leads to mental health problems and an inability to have relationships.
Extreme Loneliness
The freedom to travel and explore new places comes at the cost of feelings of isolation and loneliness. Research has found that 40% of remote workers often or always feel lonely.
Moving from one place to another and dealing with different time zones when performing tasks means that lasting and deep relationships do not exist. Neither does a support network or regular interactions, that is, with the same group of people.
Chronic Fatigue
Not having a start or end time, nor an office, nor physical spaces where one distinguishes when to work and when not to, leads to chronic fatigue.
77% of nomads have experienced work exhaustion at least once, with entrepreneurs (80%) being the most affected by this epidemic.
Generally, nomads work in fields related to AI, programming, or digital marketing. This also means they must live glued to social media to know the trends minute by minute. This behaviour distances them from simple things like talking to people face to face, going grocery shopping, meeting neighbours, or having a free weekend to be in a group.
That’s why the trend is changing, and not as many people are moving from one place to another. Instead, the trend now is to choose a city. For example, Lisbon, Madrid, or London. However, at some point, the model becomes exhausting, and nomads end up returning to their home countries for a break.