\n The authors analyzed over a decade of data from national surveys and compared reports from workers in jobs that can be done remotely, such as marketing, and jobs that require in-person work, such as surgery. It did not measure how many specific individuals worked remotely.\n <\/p>\n
\n Workers in remote-friendly jobs who live alone spent 25% of days without social contact, more than twice as much as those in non-remote friendly jobs, the study found.\n <\/p>\n
\n With some companies pushing for workers to return to the office up to five days a week, going in more often might not seem all that bad. But while fully remote work can be a risk factor for loneliness, more in-person work isn\u2019t always better, said Dr. Constance Noonan Hadley, an organizational psychologist and founder of the Institute for Life at Work, who wasn\u2019t involved in the study.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cIt assumes that when you go to the office you have a meaningful, socially fulfilling environment,\u201d Hadley said. Combating feelings of loneliness and isolation starts with spending more time in environments where you feel valued and understood, be it at the office or elsewhere.\n <\/p>\n
Work from home highs and lows<\/p>\n
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\n Years after the pandemic, remote work is still popular in the United States: When asked in November, 61% of remote-capable US employees prefer to work hybrid, 33% prefer to work exclusively remote and 6% prefer on-site work, according to Gallup<\/a>.\n <\/p>\n \n Respondents cited work-life balance as one of the biggest reasons why they love hybrid work. Other studies have found that remote work also increases productivity<\/a>.\n <\/p>\n \n While the Science study found workers in remote-friendly jobs had higher levels of mental distress, other experts cautioned against the idea that remote work alone worsens mental health. In a July study in Frontiers in Psychology<\/a>, remote workers reported the highest levels of positive well-being among roughly 7,700 healthcare employees surveyed across fully remote, hybrid and on-site roles.\n <\/p>\n \n Anika Farmer, 45, an attorney based in Trinidad and Tobago, has been working remotely since 2020. Two years later, she received a chronic diagnosis that made it difficult for her to drive 2 \u00bd hours to her office each day. Without her morning commute, she uses that time to exercise and practice mindfulness before starting her workday.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cThat makes a huge difference on your stress levels and everything,\u201d Farmer said. It helps that she lives with her mom, uncle and dog, Zeke, so she has company.\n <\/p>\n \n The change in psychological distress levels since the pandemic was twice as large for solo dwellers in remote-friendly jobs compared with those who live with others, the Science study found. When days went by without contacting another person, they didn\u2019t make up for it by socializing after work hours.\n <\/p>\n \n That kind of behavior can stem from loneliness, or a lack of practice, making it easier to avoid future interactions, Hadley said. Lonely people who become more sensitive to social rejection may avoid future interactions as a defense mechanism, she added.\n <\/p>\n \n At a glance, working at the office has its perks. Eighty-six percent of CEOs said they\u2019ll reward employees who spend more time at the office, a 2024 KPMG report found<\/a>. A May study <\/a>published in Social Science Research Network found that remote work dampens young people\u2019s opportunities to get hired in the future.\n <\/p>\n \n But going into the office doesn\u2019t guarantee social connection.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cYou can\u2019t assume even because someone is in the office that they\u2019re actually in contact with other humans,\u201d said Tampa, Florida, psychologist Tammy Allen, whose research focuses on remote work, flexible working and occupational health. It also doesn\u2019t mean the relationships with those who come in are positive, she added.\n <\/p>\n \n Positive, socially fulfilling environments are places where people receive validation from those around them that they are seen, valued and understood, Hadley explained. Hence, forcing people to go back to the office can have an opposite effect on mental health and well-being, she said.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cWhen leaders impose something that people clearly and vocally do not want, there\u2019s a way that can increase a sense of loneliness,\u201d Hadley said, adding that it\u2019s important for employers to listen to employees and design mentorship programs, social groups and events they want to join.\n <\/p>\n \n Chronically lonely employees who struggle with social confidence may need extra support, Hadley said. Personal invitations to events can help silence fears of rejection and make them feel more encouraged to participate.\n <\/p>\n \n If you\u2019re working remotely and spending a lot of time alone, a little social interaction can go a long way.\n <\/p>\n \n Even small interactions, such as chatting with your barista <\/a>or smiling at a stranger, can give people a sense of belonging, a 2013 study found.<\/a>\n <\/p>\n \n In her research<\/a>, Hadley asked participants which work environment was the most socially fulfilling, and found that it wasn\u2019t home or the office, but a third space in between.\n <\/p>\n \n Respondents pointed to places where they could be their authentic selves: coworking spaces, such as coffee shops. There, they didn\u2019t have any underlying tension or competition since they weren\u2019t doing the same work as other customers.\n <\/p>\n \n When deciding how to add more social time into your day, \u201cIt doesn\u2019t have to be necessarily in your office,\u201d Hadley said.\n <\/p>\n \n For Juhren, he spends that time with his partner. They don\u2019t see each other much during the workday since she works in person in downtown Portland, but they find a way to meet up a few nights a week, just to play cards, have a beer or go somewhere to get out and do something.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cIf I were alone, I think it would probably be much worse,\u201d Juhren said, \u201cand I would probably seek out human interaction much more than I do now.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n It\u2019s all about balance, if your workplace allows it, and going where you feel most included.\n <\/p>\n