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For many, the idea of working from home sounds like a dream. You can turn off the early morning alarm, and you never have to deal with rush hour traffic again. While working from home has its benefits, you also need to consider some health implications. Learn how working from home might affect your health.
Stress Reduction
Working from home lets you have more control over how you work, which leads to more job satisfaction and less stress. While workload is one of the biggest contributing factors to work stress, your commute can also lead to stress and health problems.
One study found that the longer your commute, the higher your anxiety levels and blood pressure. By working from home, you eliminate your commute, which can greatly reduce some stress in your life.
Work and Home Life Separation
One issue many people who work from home face is that they have a hard time separating their home life and work life. When the computer is in the other room, you can easily think that all you’ll do is answer one more email or do one more assignment. This thinking can actually end up increasing your stress.
To fight this problem, get a dedicated office with a door. When your workday is over, you must shut the door and promise yourself you won’t open it again until the next day.
Feelings of Loneliness
For many people, co-workers offer a chance to socialize and build friendships. However, when you work from home, you spend a lot of time alone. While researches have known that loneliness can lead to feelings of depression, they’re also starting to learn that loneliness can cause other health issues.
One study found a correlation between loneliness and issues with memory and learning, inflammation, and hardening of the arteries, which can lead to high blood pressure. To prevent loneliness, make sure you keep up with hobbies that get you out of the house.
If you find it difficult to get back outside and into the swing of things after working home all the time and getting comfortable with your new norm, you might want to seek out counseling to see why you’re suddenly finding it hard to get back out there before your depression and loneliness pushes you into becoming agoraphobic. If you believe that you might need serious help or intervention, you might want to consider if there something actively preventing you from taking the steps to improve your mental health on your own. If your health seems like something you are no longer able to manage, you have to learn to recognize the signs your body gives as a cry for help. If you can recognize the symptoms, then you will be able to give yourself the help and support you need whether that is in the form of leaning on your friends and family more or checking yourself into a facility such as the Spravato treatment center.
Indoor Air Quality
While we often worry about the outdoor air quality, we rarely consider how clean our indoor air is. Yet indoor air quality can be as poor as the outdoor air quality.
When you spend a full day working at home, you’re constantly breathing in pet dander, dust mites, and other indoor air contaminants. As a result, you need to have systems in place that can improve the indoor air quality in your home.
Healthier Lifestyle
Unfortunately, the typical workday for many office workers consists of skipping breakfast, getting lunch from the vending machine, and stopping for takeout on the way home for dinner. However, since people who work from home feel more freedom and control, they often take breaks and eat proper meals, which helps them lead a healthier life. They also feel like they have the time to cook proper dinners, which helps their family members enjoy healthier lives as well.
Working from home has both positive and negative implications for your health. If you work from home, keep both areas in mind to help you find the right balance.