Posted by Remote work has its perks, but it has also made some people wonder if working from home is linked to depression. Even though many workers have flexible work choices, their mental health has worsened. A study in the Journal of Public Health found that people who work from home are more likely to have depressive signs like anxiety and trouble sleeping.
Working from home can be challenging if the company doesn’t do anything to help its remote workers. Keeping mental health in mind, employees and employers should work together to devise plans to deal with problems like working from home and depression.
Does remote work make employees depressed?
No one knows for sure if working from home makes people feel depressed. Studies that have already been done on this topic have found both good and bad things about working from home.
Even though there is no clear cause-and-effect link, it may be that working from home makes things worse that cause depression. Remote work removes the chance of interactions between coworkers in an office, which can make people feel alone and isolated. Many workers may also find it hard to separate their work and personal lives, leading to burnout and insufficient sleep.
The well-being of workers may also be affected by other problems. Many people worry about their job stability and finances whether they work from home or not. So, not mixing these factors with the possible effects of working from home is necessary.
There isn’t a clear link between working from home and depression, but remote work can be harmful if workers and companies don’t put mental health first.
ALSO READ: 10 Tips for Minding Your Mental Health At Work
How remote work affects employee’s mental health
Even though people who work from home often have more freedom to plan their days as they please, it has also led to new mental health problems.
1. Weakened Work Relationships
Working from home can make it hard to build relationships at work that make jobs rewarding. A workplace happiness poll found that 22% of workers think working next to a work friend makes them just as productive or more productive, and 21% say it makes them more creative.
When workers are in the same room, it makes it easier for them to work together. It encourages people to talk about their thoughts and get closer to each other. Remote work doesn’t mean the end of these connections, but it can hurt them if companies don’t plan to keep remote workers in touch.
2. Insufficient Work-Life Balance
If you don’t have a set schedule at work, it’s easy for work and home to blend together. If they can’t get away from their computer or home office, remote workers may work more than their allotted hours. More connectivity means people are more available, so they must accept calls and emails even after the work day ends.
Being away from the office may also make people worry about their jobs, making them feel like they need to make up for it by working longer hours. All of these things have their own harmful effects.
3. Employee Burnout and Fatigue
Working from home can cause stress if workers don’t know how to set limits between work and life. Empty energy tanks and long work days are not regular and are often signs that an employee is getting burned out.
But working from home can still be exhausting even if workers stick to their regular work hours. Zoom fatigue happens when teams attend too many virtual meetings without enough time to rest. Companies that don’t respect people’s boundaries risk driving away people who work from home and making their workers feel unhappy.
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Anisa is a writer who focuses on career and lifestyle topics in an effort to motivate both job searchers and employers towards greater fulfillment in their professional lives.
Reach me at anisa@jobstore.com.