The Real Health Benefits of Travel for Digital Nomads (Backed by Science)
After an intense and emotional time in my life a few years ago, I decided to travel for a few weeks in Japan and Korea, two destinations that I always love returning to. We all know how heartbreak can feel like and I do believe anyone going through a break up will feel some level of depression.
I remember I took a cable car to the observation deck in Nagasaki (said to be one of the most beautiful city night views in the world by the way) and I waited a few hours to witness the sunset.
When I saw the sunset over the East China Sea, my heart stirred and I felt something that I can only describe as a magical feeling.
I didn't think about it again until recently, when I started wondering: was that feeling just a nice memory, or was travel actually doing something measurable to my health? So I went and did some research — looking at articles on gut health, loneliness, stress, and the science of awe — and what I found made a pretty convincing case that yes, travel can make you healthier. Not just happier for a week. Healthier.
Is travel the antidote to loneliness?
One thing we know for sure: that loneliness kills. As social creatures we need the interactions with other human beings to feel connected and our very survival seems to depend on it.
When traveling, even solo, we put ourselves out there. There’s no way around it: we have to sit next to people on the plane, we need to interact with people at the hotel or hostel, and we need to go out and mingle with the locals to make sure we get a taste of the travel experience. Even if your interactions with others will be minimal, you are still getting yourself out there; and you’re not isolating yourself from everyone. As such, I feel travel can definitely be a remedy for loneliness. Maybe it won’t be the cure but it will definitely ease the symptoms.
And especially as a digital nomad it’s important to seek out connections - without your usual social circle, life on the road can feel lonely. But when you seek out a community such as through coliving spaces or work in coworking spaces that also organise member events, you can find meaningful connections that can turn to friendship really quickly.
Making your body healthier by eating varied and new foods
Sipping a flat white in Paris
Recently, I watched this video of Big Think about our gut and how keeping it healthy means keeping your mind and body healthy too. A ‘healthy’ gut biome means that you have many good bacteria living in there, and keeping the bad bacteria at bay (yes, there are things such as good bacteria!).
And how can we keep a range of healthy bacteria in our gut? By eating lots of varied and diverse (and non-processed) food.
What I found particularly interesting was the fact that some good bacteria can lay dormant in your gut for a while until you eat something that might activate it. Take coffee for instance, which is actually good for you because it is technically a fermented plant. If you’ve never had coffee and you drink it, suddenly, the healthy bacteria that lay dormant in your gut is activated! So literally, trying new foods can make you healthier!
Which means that when you travel and you sample a new food, say kimchi in South Korea, this can be super beneficial for your health too!
Of course, this does not apply to ultra processed foods (e.g. chips, sweets etc), which are full of chemicals and don’t give your gut a good time. In fact, they can feed your ‘bad bacteria’ in your gut and this can be detrimental for your health. Not only your physical health but also your mental health, new evidence shows.
But I digress. Let’s get back to the topic about how traveling can be healthy!
Soul-nourishing feelings
Sunset at the Nagasaki observatory deck
Do you know that feeling when you witness something breathtaking, say, a breathtaking sunset on the top of a mountain in Thailand? That feeling is called awe and it is something that I can only explain as a feeling that’s nourishing for both your heart and your soul.
Back to my story in the introduction: As I was gazing towards the big blue and seeing the orange pearl of the sun fading in the horizon, I felt this extraordinary feeling - and looking back, I can definitely say it helped heal me, even just a little bit. I still remember the exact moment of this mystical tingling of awe, when the sky turned all the colours of orange, mixed in with blue streaks.
Several studies have shown that the feelings of awe can be healing and improves mood, physical health and connection with others. It also soothes our nervous system, by decreasing cortisol and blood pressure, which can help with feelings of sadness or even depression.
Walk, walk, walk
I remember being in Tokyo and checking in on my steps on my phone at the end of the day. I saw that I had walked 27k steps which blew my mind! (no wonder my lower back was hurting as well.. Oh the joys of ageing!) Japan is known to be a destination where many steps need to be taken to enjoy all the cultural delights, as well as traversing the labyrinth that is the Tokyo metro system.
It goes without saying that when you travel you tend to walk more since you’re out exploring the city or you’re out in nature. It also goes without saying that walking is good for your health, confirmed by a multitude of studies. Just 30 minutes of walking a day can increase your longevity!
Get those steps in ;)
A grain of salt
As with most things, there can also be downsides of traveling when it comes to your health.
Traveling can make you healthier, yes, but it also depends on how you travel.
If you lock yourself up in your hotel room and don’t go out to meet people, then you will no doubt feel lonely. If you eat junk food and only go to Mc Donalds while you’re traveling, your gut won’t thank you for it. And if you don’t seek out novel experiences while traveling, you won’t be feeling those feelings of awe I was talking about earlier.
But if you travel intentionally, mindfully and respectfully, there’s no doubt you will experience at least some of the aforementioned health benefits.
Obviously, all of this doesn’t help me spend less on travel (which I probably should).
But honestly, what more evidence do we need to spend your money on experiences rather than material things - if it can undoubtedly make you healthier, both mentally and physically.
☀️ Resources for your Digital Nomad Trip:
Over the years, I have done a lot of trials and errors, also when it comes to tools and resources. Here’s a quick list of tools that have helped me significantly as a digital nomad:
Nord VPN- I always use NordVPN which is super reliable, making sure you have a safe connection anywhere you go.
Insurance SafetyWing- My go-to travel and health insurance combined, specifically tailored for digital nomads and remote workers
Wise card - Avoid ATM transaction fees and pay in a local currency with a Wise card
Saily eSim card - Get 10% off your first Saily plan with the code TND10
Note: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links. This means that, if you buy through my links, I may earn a small commission that helps me create helpful content for the blog and it won’t cost you anything extra either, so it’s a win-win! I only recommend products if I think they will add value, so thanks for supporting Things Nomads Do!
