It usually begins with the same question. Someone asks me where I work, and I already know what’s coming next. I take a small pause and say, “I work remotely.” Their face lights up, just as I expect. “You’re so lucky!” they reply, almost every time, as if I’ve been handed the perfect life. I smile back, because it’s easier than explaining. On the surface, yes, remote work sounds like freedom — no commute, more flexibility, home comforts. But as I hold that smile, there’s always another thought in my mind: if only they knew what it really feels like.
Photo by Yasmina H on Unsplash 
Introduction
Before I go further, I want to make it clear that this is only my perspective, my story. I’m a 27-year-old Indian software engineer, living alone in a city, and I’ve been working remotely for almost five years now. I’m also gay, which shapes the way I experience isolation and community in its own way. Your journey may look very different, but I think some parts of mine might feel familiar. And even if they don’t, I hope it offers you a useful point of view. In this article, I want to talk about the side of remote work that we rarely discuss — the burnout, the loneliness and the health struggles that build up over time. I also want to share how I eventually found some balance through it all. This isn’t a guide or a set of rules, only my experiences and the things that helped me.
Physical Health
Working from home meant my days had no structure. I lived alone, with no routine to guide me. Slowly my body started to pay the price. My sleep cycle was a mess. Some nights I stayed awake until morning and went to bed at 8 a.m. I ordered food often and ate out a lot. Combined with stress, weight gain came easily.
The bigger problem was my gut. Stress and lifestyle together hit me hard. I developed chronic gut issues that made every morning difficult. Gut problems like this are also fairly common in sedentary, stressful jobs. I have friends dealing with IBS, gastritis, even hemorrhoids. Almost every day, I woke up with severe burning and cramps. It often took me up to three hours just to let the pain settle before I could move forward. This also made it impossible to settle into any kind of routine. And it only made my mental health worse, since the two are so closely linked.
In fact, a UK study found that full-time remote workers took about 10 sick days a year compared to 5 for hybrid workers, and were also more likely to face obesity and depression. (The Times)
What helped me
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Movement became my friend. I started going out for walks and runs, and added some form of cardio to my days. The endorphins helped my body feel better and kept my mind lighter. Going to the gym also made a difference. It helped me stay in shape, and it also meant I could see people and break the cycle of isolation.
I tried to stick to a strict routine. Sleeping and waking up at the right time helped bring some order back into my days. I still struggle with this at times, especially when work runs late, but even small improvements in my sleep made a big difference.
Food was another area I worked on. I began eating at the right times, keeping my meals simple and clean. A fiber-rich breakfast, more salads, probiotic foods, and staying hydrated all helped my gut. I also started keeping a gap between dinner and sleep, which gave my body time to settle. Simple lifestyle changes ended up making major differences.
I also saw a doctor and committed to a healthier lifestyle. I quit smoking and drinking, which not only helped my physical health but also gave me more clarity mentally.
Mental Health
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One of the first problems I faced with remote work was with my mental health. I started working young, around 20. I learned how to do the job well, but I never learned how to handle the stress that came with it. Remote work made this worse.
The line between work and home disappeared. I ate, slept, and lived in the same place where I worked. There was no change of scene and no escape. Work hours were also never fixed. It was too easy to open my laptop at night for “just one quick fix.” Days off were rare. Working from home already felt like a break, so I often pushed myself to keep going.
Daily interactions also vanished. There was no commute, no colleagues to meet, no small breaks that came naturally in an office. My routine was built around myself. Most of the time, it was just me in my apartment. I had a roommate for a while, but they were usually at work or busy with their own life. When I finished work, I often didn’t know what to do. I felt too mentally drained to pick up hobbies. Even watching a movie felt like too much. Endless reels wrecked my attention span, so nothing ever held me for long. Over time, it evolved into a slow kind of isolation. I also had a history of depression. Remote work made it spiral out of control. Anxiety came with it, and the mix became crippling. It began to affect my daily life in ways I couldn’t ignore.
I also know people who slipped into substance abuse while working from home. With alcohol or other substances always within reach, it’s easy to pour a drink during work or in a long meeting. What feels harmless in the moment can slowly turn into a routine without them even noticing.
What helped me
The first change I made was to give work its own space. I set up a separate room for it. All work stayed in that room. When I felt overwhelmed, I would step out and shut the door. That simple act helped me leave work behind. I also set strict hours. Once my day ended, I turned off notifications and closed the laptop.
I got a cat, which gave me company and comfort. (If you consider getting a pet, ensure that you are not allergic to it.) I started going for walks and working out to bring more movement into my days. I practised mindfulness and simple breathing exercises, which helped me slow down when my thoughts felt too heavy. All of this was a way to step out of my head. Staying in your head all day is a recipe for disaster.
I began replacing empty screen time with books. That made me feel more grounded and slowly improved my attention span. And one of the biggest steps I took was starting therapy. It gave me tools to handle stress and the cycle of depression and anxiety.
Social Life
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Remote work left me with almost no social life. After work I often felt like doing something, but at home there wasn’t much to do beyond watching Netflix. In an office, you naturally step out for dinners or drinks with teammates. That part just disappeared.
A survey found that 25% of remote workers say their social skills declined, and 20% reported worse mental health since working from home. About two-thirds (66%) say this was because of reduced social connection. (New York Post / ResumeBuilder)
I have a friend who got so used to being at home that even daily interactions like buying groceries felt overwhelming. I feel it too. In a new setting, starting interactions is hard for me, and I often end up staying quiet even when I want to connect.
Dating can sometimes help fill that gap, but for me it hasn’t been easy. In India, especially in cities, people are open about their sexuality and willing to date. The challenge is that the pool is still small, and finding a good match isn’t simple.
What helped me
The biggest change came from finding community. Making connections outside of work gave me something to look forward to. I tried hobby classes in my free time, which helped me meet people and break the routine. For me, queer events like sports, karaoke, crafts, and parties created a space where I felt at home.
It also helped to find others with remote jobs. I have friends in the same city who work remotely, and on boring days we meet and work together from a café. That small change brings energy back into the day.
Photo by Ron Lach on Pexels
Travel has also been a huge benefit. I often travel with a childhood friend who works remotely too. Together we have seen the Himalayas, the deserts of Ladakh, the beaches of Goa and the forests of the Kerala. I also try to take solo trips and explore new cultures. Many countries now offer digital nomad visas, so take the chance and travel to new places.
It is also worth exploring where you want to live. I moved to a calm, green neighborhood with plenty of cafés and everything within reach. When I feel tired, I just step out for a walk and it makes me feel better. That would not have been possible if I had to live close to an office.
Remote work can take away your social life if you let it, but it also gives you freedom to build a better one if you choose it.
Workplace
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My workplace shrunk to a desk and a chair in my apartment. The people I worked with were only faces behind screens, and many times not even that because cameras stayed off.
Collaboration felt harder without a physical space. You miss the whiteboards, the quick discussions, and the sense of working side by side. Managing teams across time zones added to the challenge. It meant long hours, late-night meetings, and waiting for answers that would have been instant in an office.
For some of my colleagues, working from home also meant living with family. Staying at home all day while trying to balance work and children around them was overwhelming in its own way.
What helped me
We had to find a rhythm of collaboration that worked. It took some time, but it is possible to work asynchronously and still get things done. We relied more on text. The classic “this could have been an email” really should have been an email. Meetings became a place where people came together to deliver value. Time is valuable, and treating it that way helped everyone. Remote work can also empower you to be more productive and focused. With the right boundaries and setup, it gives you the freedom to design your day in a way that brings out your best work.
A Stanford study found that employees working from home were on average 13% more productive than their office counterparts, thanks to fewer breaks and less time spent commuting. (Stanford University)
I also made an effort to connect with colleagues beyond just work. Taking interest in each other’s lives, sharing vacation photos, stories about family, and having fun in virtual events made the screen feel a little less distant.
Meeting colleagues in real life whenever possible also made a big difference. If they were in another city or country, I tried to pair it with a trip. Those moments built trust and made working together easier.
Lastly, I worked on making my own space better. A decent ergonomic chair, a monitor, keyboard, and mouse all helped. A good camera and mic are worth it too. Your entire presence is virtual, so it pays to make it effective. Exploring coworking spaces is also a good option. It gives you place to focus and also brings back a sense of the office when you need it.
Conclusion
Remote work is not just comfort and flexibility, and it is not just isolation and stress either. It can hurt your health, your balance, and your social life if you let it. But it can also give you the freedom to rebuild these things in ways that work for you.
For me, the past five years have been both difficult and rewarding. I have made mistakes, I have struggled, and I have also found small ways to create balance. Some things are still a work in progress, and that’s okay.
If you are working remotely, I’d love to hear about your own challenges and what has helped you deal with them. Everyone’s story is different, and sharing those stories might just make the rest of us feel a little less alone.
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