What is digital nomadism and why are some people quitting the lifestyle?

Imagine sitting on a beach in a tropical paradise while fielding calls about an upcoming project or working furiously on an important piece of work while listening to waves crash against the shoreline. This was a dream for many that became a reality in recent years. 

The rise of what is today called digital nomadism went hand in hand with the Covid-19 pandemic but the phenomenon had been growing in popularity long before the world was taught there was a different way to work, one that didn’t involve daily commutes. 

Digital nomads are defined as people who have chosen to adopt location-independent work that enables them to use technology to travel anywhere and work remotely on their chosen career via the internet from anywhere in the world according to MBO Partners.

“Unlike regular remote workers, who tend to stay in one geographic area,” wrote MBO Partners, “digital nomads travel and explore while working,” meaning there is some aspect of play and exploration oriented around the locations digital nomads choose. 

The lifestyle is more about finding a way to travel and explore the world, the nooks and crannies of the world while also making sure you have the cash in your pocket to live while also not forgetting your career, essentially it's the best of both work and travel. 

Most digital nomads are remote workers, self-employed, or freelancers according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which noted that millions of Americans have chosen the life of digital nomadism. But just how many digital nomads are roaming the earth now?

Think Remote estimated that there are roughly 35 million digital nomads in the world, 23.2 million of which are American, and that number is up significantly from figures in 2022 that showed the numbers worldwide only sat at 16.9 million workers. 

However, while a life of mixing work and travel might seem idyllic, digital nomads face a unique set of problems that might not make the lifestyle attractive to some people. One of the biggest issues facing the digital nomad community is their lack of connection. 

“An increasing number of workers who’ve tried the nomadic lifestyle report that behind the wanderlust-fuelled Instagram posts and rosy travel blogs, the reality of this set-up is not always so glamorous,” wrote Ellen Nguyen of BBC News. 

“Although there has been plenty of upside for workers who’ve tried the lifestyle, many also say that lacking a tether took a toll on their mental and physical health, and even made them poorer at their jobs,” Nguyen added. 

The biggest problem for some according to Nguyen’s reporting is the lack of a stable community and long-lasting friendships, which led to feelings of isolation as well as depression in some of the nomads she spoke with. 

Another big issue while living abroad was food poisoning and infections. Every problem was its own unique challenge, but piled on top of one another they became too much for Lauren Juliff, a five-year veteran of digital nomadism who eventually quit the lifestyle. 

Juliff told Nguyen that she was struggling to effectively run her business while traveling and eventually started to have panic attacks that only stopped when she thought about transitioning to a home base, which is what she did—now championing it to others. 

The former digital nomad saw her panic attacks disappear and her businesses’ income triple when she moved into an apartment in Portugal, still not totally willing to give up her life of travel but finding a happy medium between her working life’s two extremes. 

"Making the decision to stop was hard,” Juliff told Nguyen, “I did struggle quite a bit with learning who I was as a person if I wasn’t traveling full-time.” 

A quick Google search will reveal that Lauren Juliff is not alone. Popular online digital nomad personas like Oz Chen, 2foodtrippers, and The Ordinary Adventurer have quit the lifestyle for very similar reasons—each was tired and needed a change of pace.