The same movement which initially was considered a privilege of a few freelancers and tech professionals has transformed that working environment on a global level in a few short years. Remote work or digital nomadism facilities that have been carried by the bombing of the pandemic are no longer treated as emergency solutions but are becoming a standard way of working. Workers in every industry can be found in meetings in their kitchen, coffee and even on the beach coworking hotspots.
Digital nomads have tripled in the US since 2019, with governments worldwide creating visas to attract them.
Location independence is being viewed as a competitive criterion of recruiting talent by the companies that do not want to be entangled by location network. But beyond the shiny Instagram photos of laptops in front of sunset shots, the life under the habits is much more complicated it comes with the unprecedented freedom, as well as the emergence of new sorts of burnout.
Lateral movement to remote work was first hailed as a revolution in work-life balance. No soul-sucking travel. No more severe office hours. The promise was even stronger to the digital nomads: they could go around the world without losing a career in the process. Amond MBO Partners 2024 State of Independence report notes that now more than 17 million Americans are digital nomads a figure that has since 2019 almost tripled.
Similar patterns are taking hold in Europe, Asia and pockets of Africa, where nations such as Portugal to Indonesia are launching so-called digital nomad visas in an effort to attract remote workers. It is quite clear why the idea is attractable economically to the host countries: the digital nomads are just sources of income without ever competing with locals to absorb local jobs, as they enhance tourism and local enterprises.
Nevertheless, there are the trade-offs to the dream. Remote workers have no longer office bonds, instead, they have the device tether to them. Setting no physical limits to the workplace in the form of the workday creeps into the evenings, weekends, and vacation. The World Health Organization cautions that long working hours, which is becoming a trend under remote working conditions, has associations with increased chances of developing heart diseases and strokes.
“Time zone fatigue” is another common complaint with many digital nomads, whose crisscrossing between clients or colleagues on opposite ends of the planet force them to travel irregularly. Without deliberate limits, then the presumed flexibility of remote work can just seep into an always-on culture.
Remote work often blurs boundaries, fueling “always-on” culture and burnout.
It is not so much work-work as polarization. No matter the shortcomings of the offices, they offered some social interaction, mentorship and informal network. Remote employees themselves have to make a conscious effort to establish these networks by attending virtual coffee breaks, coworking fees or memberships in professional groups. Even longer-lasting bonds may be more difficult when it comes to digital nomads because of the transient character of this lifestyle.
Although it is stimulating to continuously have new people around, community takes time to build, and thus may result in isolation. A 2023 survey by Buffer identified one of the most common challenges cited by remote employees around the world as being loneliness combining with collaboration and communication obstacles.
Still, remote working and digital nomadism are not necessarily the curse of the age, they simply require an entirely new set of skills and disciplines. Productivity has ceased to mean observing in a desk office nine to five it means output, self-management and paying attention in a world with multifarious distractions.
Common features of successful remote workers are rigid routines on a daily basis, work space and communication patterns. Such digital nomads that succeed on longer-term basis will slow down their journey and will spend months, not weeks, in each destination place. The result is more immersion in the culture and a stronger sense of place.
It also involves environmental aspect. Digital nomads frequently fly constantly, making it a source of carbon emissions, which is counterintuitive to the generation that mostly believes in being sustainable. Others are combating it through their preferences to take trains instead of flights when possible, seasonal work or carbon offsetting. Workers also have an opportunity to go green at home-commute emissions can be minimized, but offices with maximum use of energy efficiency and mindful use of electronics can also contribute to the effect.
Loneliness and weakened networks are among the most cited challenges of remote work.
After all, remote work and digital nomadism are all about agency; the ability to craft a personalized life that reflects values, health and priorities. However, freedom without restrictions is soon turned into a trap. The dilemma then, faced by people is how to overcome the temptations of inordinate accessibility and unending movement so that a balanced flow of work, rest and baiting is designed. To a company, the issue is how to accommodating employees with expectations, the help of mental health care, as well as a real flexibility that is not performative but empowering.
The future of work is not confined to a place anymore but the quality of it would determine how we should manage the paradox of modern mobility: being everywhere and not to be lost in the process.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not represent the views, beliefs, or policies of the Stratheia.
