[ad_1]
In what is relatively unexplored territory, Onebright looks at some of the leading mental health challenges that digital nomads face while abroad.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, November 16, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — As more countries offer enticing digital nomad visas, the number of people packing up their lives to carry out their jobs from abroad has never been higher. The latest reports show there are currently 35 million digital nomads worldwide, which is expected to rise to one billion by 2035. This lifestyle is often characterised as one that offers a better work-life balance. However, the reality is far less straightforward.
Many digital nomads face mental health challenges in countries without the same standard or quality of care as the UK. In some cases, language barriers can hinder communication between the client and therapist. And for others, the constant change in countries can mean finding a new mental health clinician at each location.
Anxiety, depression, addiction, loneliness, etc. can all be made worse by the stress of learning to travel and work simultaneously, particularly if there are strategies in place to manage emotions that can arise with stressful, unfamiliar surroundings, people, cultures and customs.
Online therapy solutions, where therapists can connect with clients via online video platforms, have opened up new possibilities for people looking to transform the way they live and work. This delivery method means the individual still benefits from regular therapy sessions with the same trained and accredited therapist back home. Onebright mental health therapists have been offering online therapy for over ten years. With a clinical network of over 3,000 clinicians providing treatment in 49 languages, access to mental health services has never been easier.
For digital nomads and expatriates alike, online therapy can be helpful in the reframing of thoughts around the following challenges:
Loneliness
Due to the stigma surrounding mental health, many people dislike talking about their mental health issues when struggling. Feelings of loneliness can come and go, so it is easy to ignore this problem for a long time before it becomes an issue that needs professional support.
Belonging and feeling connected are some of the biggest challenges digital nomads face. Seeing familiar people regularly, these people are more likely to see changes in behaviour if something is wrong.
Many people may not notice the signs that someone is struggling with loneliness or perhaps missing the security that comes with a support network as they have back home.
Lack of control
Digital nomads will generally end up inhabiting spaces that are not their own and maybe restrictive. Living in these “borrowed environments” where many things are beyond a person’s control can leave an individual feeling like they don’t have a safe place to be alone. This can also rob a person of a sense of agency within their own life, causing symptoms like procrastination, worrying and helplessness.
Digital nomads often need to learn techniques for shutting out their environment and entering their own “mental” safe space through practices commonly known in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, such as reframing thoughts, problem-solving and relaxation techniques.
Anxiety
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorders and affect nearly 30% of adults at some point in their lives. The constant pressures from modern living trigger our stress hormones. While we have evolved to experience stress for short periods in response to immediate forms of danger, a continuous level of stress is damaging to our physical and mental health.
Digital nomads often work as freelancers. This means an insecure income and more financial uncertainty, which can be an extreme stressor.
There is also considerable stress involved in applying for residence permits, dealing with foreign authorities, maintaining relationships, finding suitable accommodation with the required utilities to work (such as stable internet), medical treatment and international insurance companies. All these factors add up, and if any of them is denied or disrupted, it can mean starting the process again in a new country.
But anxiety disorders are treatable using several treatments, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which is easily accessed online. Techniques help to interrupt and reframe worried thoughts that feed into anxiety and reduce avoidance, thus helping people lead fulfilling, productive lives.
Online therapy for digital nomads
People who live in one place all the time can usually rely on the same mental health resources yearly. As a digital nomad, those location-dependent resources do not help. Instead, it is likely that help in one place can be drastically different from another in terms of quality and service provided.
Finding a therapist on the go can be problematic because many countries or cities have shortages of mental health professionals. Long wait times for an appointment are a reality in many countries, and when the therapist is finally available, it might be time to move on again.
An online therapy provider like Onebright offers an easy and efficient way to connect with a therapist at any location with an internet connection. Not only will digital nomads have help when needed, but they can also continue their therapy relationship with the same therapist throughout their travels.
Reach out and get advice from a mental health professional. If this is unavailable locally, get in touch to learn about Onebright’s online therapy services for support.
PR & Media Enquiries
Onebright
+44 20 7785 7383
email us here
Visit us on social media:
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
[ad_2]
Source link
