My remote job is killing my mental health
I've been working remotely for 2 years and I've never been more depressed. I don't talk to anyone all day, I don't leave my apartment, I work 10 hours because there's no boundary. I miss having coworkers. Should I quit and go back to an office?
1 Answer(s)
You don't necessarily need to quit remote work — you need to fix the structure. Remote work is amazing when you have boundaries, and miserable when you don't.
First, create a fake commute. Before work, walk around the block for 15 minutes. After work, do the same. This signals to your brain that work is over. It sounds silly but it works.
Second, leave your apartment every day. Even if it's just a coffee shop. Working from the same spot every day blurs the line between work and life. Your brain needs a context switch.
Third, schedule social interaction. Join a co-working space 2-3 days a week, or find a "work buddy" on Focusmate or similar. Isolation is the #1 killer of remote workers.
Fourth, set a hard stop time. Close your laptop at 6pm. Put it in a drawer. If you work 10 hours, you're not productive — you're just present.
Try these for 30 days before deciding to quit. Most people who hate remote work actually hate unstructured remote work. The work itself is usually fine.