Does working from home increase depression?

Nathaley Stimphil, MFT Student

Source: Katt Samson / Pexels

Do you work from home? If so, here are a few questions to consider:

·         Have you ever experienced depression?

·         Does working from home ever get frustrating?

·         Have you ever found yourself experiencing burnout because of this?

·         Do you have children at home, who constantly get in the way of you working from home?

·         Does staring at a screen all day cause brain fog?

All these questions can be associated with depression and focus on working from home. And to answer the initial question, working from home can increase depression. Depression is a common and serious mental illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think, and how you act.

Some depression symptoms can include:

·         Sadness

·         Increased fatigue

·         Irritability

·         Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much

·         Loss of appetite

·         Feeling worthless

·         Hopelessness

·         Loss of interest

·         Lack of motivation

·         Suicidal ideations

·         Difficulty concentrating

Back in 2020, we experienced what was a global pandemic known as COVID-19. COVID-19 had its effects on the world causing most businesses to shut down and also causing many of us to begin working remotely from home if it was possible. Ever since the outbreak, we have seen more jobs, meetings, doctor visits, family gatherings, and even schools all being held remotely from the comfort of our homes. Though this is somewhat now a regular dynamic for us, a study presented that 65% of workers working from home have stated that they often feel less connected to their coworkers since working from home. Working from home causes a lack of physical and social connection. As humans, a physical connection is something that we all need, and working from home often can cause you to lose touch with the outside world due to a lack of in-person social interactions.

Here is a scenario for example, imagine being a single mother with two children, no help at home, and having to now work from home! Child 1 (3 years old) is cranky and needs a nap while child 2 (7 years old) has just come home from school, is ready for lunch, and needs help with homework. You’re still in the middle of your workday so now you’re stressed because you must finish meeting your work quotas, and must keep stopping to tend to your children’s needs. All of this is causing you to feel extreme levels of exhaustion, ready to give up, and forgetting to eat which is also causing a loss of appetite. In other words, all of this can cause depression to increase.  Another symptom to consider while working from home is burnout. Burnout is caused by chronic stress, in this case, work stress. Can you imagine experiencing burnout on top of already experiencing depression and or any other existing mental health problems along with having two young children at home? A lot of research indicates that working from home has negative effects on the mental well-being of people, especially those who have pre-existing mental health conditions.

If any of this sounds like you, there are various ways, tools, and resources that can be useful when it comes to managing working from home and depression. Here are a few ways that might help you combat and cope with depression caused by working from home. Some of those helpful tips include:

·         Going for a walk on your break

·         Exercise

·         Connect with nature

·         Calling a loved one

·         Taking a nap

·         Give yourself a facial

·         Do your make-up

·         5 - minute mediation

·         Sitting in the Sun

·       Connect with God Jesus Christ

·         Reading a few chapters of a favorite book

·         Dance

·         Listen to music

·         Prepping for your evening ahead

·         Get ready for work at home just like you would to go into the office

Another resource to help with depression is seeing a licensed therapist. This can often be underrated but sometimes working from home can really cause a person to feel isolated and down because they are often by themselves. So having an outlet such as a support group, a friend, or a therapist to talk to can re-establish that sense of connection.

As always, we’d like to be clear that this blog post isn’t intended as professional counseling or clinical advice. If you need support, please consider speaking to a professional to be evaluated.

If suicidal thoughts are present, call 911 immediately or have someone take you to the nearest emergency room if you are worried about yourself or a loved one taking their own life.

At Comfort Counseling Center, we provide Depression Counseling, Stress Management Therapy through online counseling for black Christian professionals and entrepreneurs across the state of Texas, Florida, and Massachusetts.

You are welcome to explore our counseling services or contact us to schedule a 30-minute phone consultation to see if we might be able to support you as you journey forward. Please read our Frequently Asked Questions before your consultation.