Is Working From Home Good or Bad for Your Mental Health?
Key takeaways:
Many people who work from home enjoy the flexibility and have better work-life balance, and that improves their well-being.
For some people, working from home can be isolating and cause loneliness.
If you’re working from home and experiencing feelings of isolation or sadness, there are things you can do to avoid some of the downsides of remote work.
The COVID-19 pandemic sent many workers home to do their jobs. And many people seem to like it. Most say that the biggest advantage of working from home is having more work-life balance.
But remote work may have downsides for some people. Even if there are some benefits, it may cause extra stress or a sense of loneliness for some.
It may be helpful to think about how your work situation is affecting your mental health — whether you work remotely, work a hybrid schedule (alternating between home and in-office), or go into the office full time.
Read on to learn about the pros and cons of working from home and how to avoid some of the pitfalls of remote work.
Is working from home bad for mental health?
For many people, working from home seems to be good for their mental health. In a 2023 survey of remote workers, nearly all said they’d like to work remotely at least some of the time for the rest of their careers. That seems to be a ringing endorsement of remote work.
But when you look at the research, it’s mixed on the question. Some studies show that it may increase your risk for depression, some show it can be good for your mental health, and others show no effect.
Feeling isolated? Here are ways to feel less lonely and to connect with others.
Achieving work-life balance takes work. Here are tips to improve your work-life balance and your well-being.
Do you think you may be depressed? Learn the symptoms of depression and where to get help.
One problem with the research, though, is that most studies were conducted during the pandemic. During that time, there were many other factors contributing to mental health issues. For instance:
Children were home, rather than in school or day care, causing extra stress for working parents.
People lost their jobs or were at risk of losing their jobs.
People were more isolated because of physical distancing policies.
Rates of depression spiked during the pandemic.
Most of these studies didn’t separate out these issues, so it’s hard to apply their conclusions to our postpandemic lives.
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That said, the research does suggest that everyone’s experience with remote work is different. So it’s important to look at your own life factors and personality traits when deciding what works best for you.
What are the mental health benefits of working from home?
If you’ve worked from home, you’ve probably enjoyed some of the perks. One of the biggest benefits of remote work is that it often improves your work-life balance. That’s when you feel you have enough personal time to balance out your work responsibilities.
You may have gained back some personal time because you’re no longer commuting to work. U.S. workers save an average of 1 hour a day by not commuting. And when you work from home, you can often handle some personal chores throughout the week, rather than having them pile up for the weekend.
Working from home also offers more flexibility, which gives people more control over their schedule. A flexible schedule has been linked to better mental health and a lower risk of depression.
Remote work may also have these benefits:
Reduced stress
Reduced fatigue
Increased sense of autonomy
Improved productivity
Reduced social anxiety due to fewer face-to-face interactions, which can be stressful for some people with anxiety
Can working from home cause depression?
Though the research is mixed, there’s some evidence that working from home may contribute to depression in some people. But it’s hard to draw conclusions based on studies conducted during the pandemic, because levels of depression were higher for all workers during that time.
For instance, during the pandemic, women tended to experience higher rates of depression than men, but rates were higher in women whose kids were home from school. Now that kids are back in school or day care, that stressor of juggling child care may not apply anymore.
It’s important to think about your personal situation and how working from home makes you feel.
What may cause depression for people working from home?
Working from home may not be right for everyone, though there’s no clear evidence that it’s linked to higher rates of depression. It’s important to think about some of the ways remote work may affect you.
One of the difficulties is that working from home can make you feel isolated. You lose the in-person interactions and social contact with colleagues. More than half of remote or hybrid workers say they feel it’s harder to connect with their coworkers.
And it’s easy to feel like you’re not having any social contact throughout your day, especially if you live alone or your partner works outside of the home.
Isolation may be particularly hard for younger generations (Gen Z and Millennials). About 8 in 10 younger workers worry that working from home will cause a sense of loneliness compared to 6 in 10 older workers.
Other factors can also affect whether working remotely is good for your mental health, including:
How supported you feel by your employer
How connected you feel to friends and family
Your individual psychological traits (like being an introvert)
Having depression, anxiety, or another mental health condition
And some aspects of working from home can cause stress for some people. For example:
If you’re not great at setting clear boundaries, it can blur the line between work and personal life. It can be hard for remote workers to “unplug” from work.
You may feel like you don’t have a routine and structure to your day, and that can contribute to feelings of disorganization and stress.
Having a lot of video conferencing (Zoom) meetings can cause fatigue and stress.
If you have children at home, it may be difficult to juggle your home responsibilities with work, leading to feeling stressed or overwhelmed.
How can you prevent depression if you work from home?
If you’re working from home, there are ways you can reduce some of the risks of working from home, and enjoy the benefits more.
Go hybrid
Consider going hybrid if you would benefit from more social interactions. If you can split your time between home and office, you get the best of both worlds — the flexibility and work-life balance on your remote days, and some social interactions on your in-office days. This can also help if you feel that working fully remote makes it harder to network.
Set clear boundaries
Most people find they have better work-life balance when they work from home. But others may struggle with it, especially if they find it difficult to set clear boundaries between their work and personal life. This can raise stress.
To set boundaries:
Designate a start and stop time to your work day.
If you want a flexible schedule, say, a 2-hour personal break in the middle of the day, use your calendar to schedule work hours and personal time.
Turn off notifications and don’t look at messages or emails on your personal time.
During work time, try not to get distracted by household chores. Make your own schedule.
Lean in to a flexible schedule
One of the benefits of working from home is the flexibility to create your own schedule. Try to take advantage of it.
You could, for example, carve out some time in the morning to exercise, or in the late afternoon to be with your kids after school. You’d then make up the work time in the evening or early morning.
If you’re required to be online during specific working hours, there are still ways to take breaks that can restore your energy. For example, you could go for a walk or to the gym during lunch hour, or take a small social break with a friend or family member.
Set up Zoom coffees
To reduce the feeling of isolation, it can be helpful to have social interactions with your colleagues — even if just on Zoom. Choose a couple of people you’re friendly with, and invite them to a biweekly coffee chat. Or if you live in the same town as any coworkers, you can set up a coworking date at a coffee shop.
Build exercise into your day
Exercise helps improve mood and may reduce depressive symptoms. To build more movement into your day:
Try to get more steps and other exercise during your day.
Schedule a midday walk (even better if you meet a friend to socialize).
Plan to go to the gym, go for a run, or play a sport like pickleball before or after work.
Take many small breaks so you’re not sitting all day. Get up to stretch, do a few yoga poses, or grab a snack.
These activities will also get you out of the house, which can help you feel less isolated.
Change up your scenery
Working in a coffee shop or library can break up the monotony of work and get you out among other people. It can help you stay connected with others and reduce isolation.
See a mental health professional
If you’re feeling isolated or depressed, it can be helpful to see a mental health professional. They can help treat depression, and help you come up with strategies to reduce your sense of isolation or to create a better work-life balance.
Check if your company offers an EAP program, which can provide some counseling and referrals for counseling.
You can also search for mental health professionals online. Start with the Psychology Today search tool.
Frequently asked questions
Social isolation is not a disorder, but it’s closely linked to social anxiety disorder. Social isolation is when you have a lack of social relationships, contacts, or interactions. It may also increase your risk for physical and mental health conditions, such as heart disease, dementia, and depression.
There has been a lot of research on the effects of working from home on your mental health — with much of it spurred by the COVID pandemic. The research tends to show that people generally benefit from having some remote work. But there still isn’t a clear consensus, and more research is needed.
Telling your employer about your depression is a personal choice. There are potential benefits and risks to disclosing a mental health condition. If you’re considering disclosure, think about how your employer can support you, and have some clear requests in mind, such as increasing socializing among coworkers.
The bottom line
Working from home can have both positive and negative effects on mental health. Many people find that they have a better work-life balance, but it can also cause a sense of isolation. For some people, it can contribute to or worsen depression. There are strategies to help offset some of the negative aspects of remote work. These may take extra effort but it’s important to be mindful of your mental health and remind yourself to practice healthy work-from-home habits.
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