Could Working from Home be Harming Your Health?
Working from home is mostly a dream come true. You’re free to work on your own schedule—and wear sweatpants whenever you want. You don’t have to slog through a daily commute. You don’t have to sit in a cubicle under fluorescent lighting. You have complete autonomy over your day. Sounds glorious, right? You’re not alone.
Remote working is becoming more and more popular in our digital age. According to a Gallup poll, 43 percent of employed Americans spent at least some time working remotely last year—a surprising percentage indeed.
While, sure, a handful of these people may have been living that digital nomad lifestyle, working from their computers on enviable tropical beaches and racking up green-eyed followers on Instagram, the rest of us remote workers were probably holed up at home in our 10-year-old sweatpants. Not so glamorous, but still pretty wonderful.
Working from Home and Your Health
Working from home comes with a major wellness downside—a wimpy immune system.
When we leave our houses, we encounter billions and billions of foreign strains of bacteria—on doorknobs, benches, handrails, everywhere. And that’s not a bad thing. Exposing yourself to bacteria can help build up your immune system, meaning you actually get sick less often!
But for those of us who work from home, we don’t encounter foreign germs nearly as often. No commute. No officemates. No regular ventures through public spaces. And the unfortunate truth is that when you expose yourself to fewer germs, your body has less of a chance to build up fortifications against similar intruders. So even though you see fewer people, your odds of coming down with something nasty practically skyrocket if you decide to venture out into the world. And if it’s cold and flu season, that means you’re probably going to get hit—hard.
But that’s not all. Freelancers and remote workers who barely move an inch away from their home office can struggle with mental health issues, too.
Whether it’s depression, stress, anxiety, or a deficit of social interaction, working alone from home can be mentally unbalancing. It’s important to be especially aware of this possibility in the winter, when seasonal affective disorder can kick in.
If you do work from home, consider getting the support of a therapist—even if you don’t think you need one. We all need someone to talk to sometimes, especially if we’re alone for most of the day.
How to Make Working From Home Healthier
Is there anything our growing remote workforce can do to thwart these wellness downers? Yes. Make leaving your office a priority. Whether it’s going out for a daily social session at the local coffee shop or a simple walk through your local park, going outside is crucial for both your physical and mental wellness.
All humans need a little nature and social interaction pretty regularly—even self-proclaimed introverts. Consider getting out of your house nature’s all-in-one daily preventative supplement—so you can keep relishing in the glories of working from home.
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