Why Working from Home May Harm Your Mental Health?

Since April, Matthew Gorin has been working about 75 hours a week remotely from his home office near Portland, Oregon, where he spends most of his time alone. Gorin said, "Isolation, with all its new and different aspects, can sometimes be difficult for a socially open person."

A new study has indicated that spending a long time working alone may harm your mental health. As companies move to require their employees to return to the office, experts have clarified that it is important to allocate time for meaningful social interaction during your day, regardless of where you work.

A recent study published in the journal Science found that people who live alone and work in jobs that can be performed remotely reported experiencing more psychological distress and social isolation than those whose jobs require in-person work. Researchers analyzed data from over a decade drawn from national surveys, comparing reports from workers in remote-capable jobs like marketing with those in jobs that require physical presence like surgery.

The study did not specifically measure the number of people who worked remotely. It found that workers in remote-friendly jobs who live alone spent 25% of their days without social contact, which is more than double the rate of those in jobs that cannot be performed remotely.

With some companies asking their employees to return to the office up to five days a week, going to the office more frequently may not seem like such a bad thing. Organizational psychologist Dr. Constance Noonan Hadley, founder of the "Life at Work" Institute and not involved in the study, noted that fully remote work may increase the risk of feeling lonely, but increasing in-person work is not always the best solution.

Hadley said: "It assumes that when you go to the office, you will find a socially rich and meaningful environment," adding that "confronting feelings of loneliness and isolation begins with spending more time in environments where you feel that others appreciate and understand you, whether in the office or elsewhere." The pros and cons of working from home after years since the end of the pandemic, remote work remains popular in the United States, with 61% of employees stating they prefer a hybrid work system, while 33% prefer to work entirely remotely, and 6% prefer to work from the office.

Participants mentioned the feature of "achieving a work-life balance" as one of the main reasons for their preference for hybrid work. Other studies have found that remote work also increases productivity.

While a Science study found that workers in jobs suitable for remote work reported higher levels of psychological distress, other experts warned against assuming that remote work itself leads to a decline in mental health. The Science study found that the change in levels of psychological distress since the pandemic was double that recorded among people living alone and working in jobs suitable for remote work, compared to those living with others.

When days passed without their communication with another person, they did not compensate for that with social interaction after working hours. Hadley said this behavior may stem from feelings of loneliness or a lack of habituation to social interaction, making it easier to avoid future interactions, adding that people who feel lonely become more sensitive to social rejection and may avoid future interactions as a defensive mechanism.

At first glance, it seems that working from the office has advantages, as a KPMG report in 2024 found that 86% of CEOs said they would offer bonuses to employees who spend more time in the office. A study published in the Social Science Research Network in May found that remote work reduces young people's chances of obtaining future jobs.

However, going to the office does not guarantee social interaction. Tammy Allen, a psychologist in Tampa, Florida, whose research focuses on remote work, flexible work, and occupational health, said, "It cannot be assumed that a person's presence in the office necessarily means they are actually interacting with other people," adding that this also does not mean that their relationships with people in the office are positive.

Hadley explained that positive and socially fulfilling environments are places where individuals receive feelings that stimulate mental comfort, noting that forcing employees to return to the office may have the opposite effect on their mental health. Hadley considered that "when leaders impose something that people clearly do not want and express their rejection of it openly, it may lead to an increased feeling of loneliness," adding that it is important for employers to listen to employees and design mentoring programs, groups, and social events that employees want to participate in.

Hadley pointed out that employees who suffer from chronic loneliness and struggle to trust their ability to interact socially may need additional support. Personal invitations to events may help alleviate fears of rejection and encourage them more to participate.

Building social relationships wherever your workplace is if you work remotely and spend a long time alone, a little social interaction can have a significant impact. A study conducted in 2013 found that simple interactions, such as chatting with a coffee vendor or smiling at a stranger, can give individuals a sense of belonging.

Hadley had asked participants about the most socially fulfilling work environment, and found that it was neither home nor the office, but a third place in between. Participants pointed to places where they could be themselves, such as coworking spaces and cafes.

In these places, there was no tension or implicit competition. Hadley said: "When you think about how to add more social time to your day, it doesn't necessarily have to be in your office."