Working From Home and Mental Health: 12 Tips to Stay Well

Is working from home good for mental health?

It depends on the person and the set-up. A 2020 review of 23 studies found working from home affected wellbeing, stress, fatigue, pain and quality of life, both for better and worse. The biggest factors were support from the organisation and colleagues, social contact outside work and how well work and family life were separated. Women were less likely to see health benefits, often because of juggling work and caring at home.

Hybrid working, a mix of home and office, gives many people the best of both.

Signs working from home is affecting you

• Feeling lonely, flat or cut off from your team
• Working late most evenings or checking emails in bed
• Rarely leaving the house on workdays
• Struggling to focus or start tasks. See how to focus better
• Snacking or drinking more, or skipping meals
• Poor sleep or tension headaches
• Feeling constantly tired, irritable or overwhelmed

If several sound familiar and it has gone on for weeks, it may be heading towards burnout. See burnout symptoms and stress symptoms.

12 tips for working from home

Routine and space

1. Keep regular hours. Start and finish at similar times each day. A steady routine supports sleep and mood. See a morning routine for energy.
2. Do a “fake commute”. A 10 to 15 minute walk before and after work marks the start and end of the day and gets you morning daylight, which helps set your body clock.
3. Get dressed. It sounds small, but it helps your brain shift into work mode.
4. Have a dedicated workspace. Ideally not your bedroom. If you must work there, pack the laptop away at the end of the day.
5. Sort your desk set-up. Screen at eye level, feet flat, back supported, and a separate keyboard and mouse if you use a laptop.

During the day

6. Take proper breaks. Step away from the screen every hour or so, and take a real lunch break away from your desk.
7. Move. Stand up, stretch, walk while on calls. Even short bursts help mood and energy.
8. Work by daylight. Sit near a window if you can, especially in autumn and winter. See seasonal affective disorder.
9. Eat proper meals. It’s easy to graze or skip lunch at home. See food and mood.
10. Watch the caffeine. The kettle is always close. Keep it to the morning and early afternoon. See does caffeine cause anxiety?
11. Batch notifications. Check email and messages at set times rather than constantly.
12. Plan your hardest work for when you have most energy, and leave admin for the afternoon slump.

How to switch off after work

Without a commute, work can spill into the evening. A short “shutdown ritual” tells your brain the day is done.

• Write tomorrow’s top three tasks, so they’re out of your head.
• Close the laptop and put it out of sight.
• Turn off work notifications on your phone.
• Change clothes, go for a walk or do something physical.
• If your mind keeps racing, try journal prompts or box breathing. See how to stop overthinking.

Many people add a calming drink as a cue to unwind. Our Magnesium Glycinate Sleep Complex is an evening drink with L-theanine, and magnesium contributes to normal psychological function and to a reduction of tiredness and fatigue. Some people take our Flow CBD Oil, with ashwagandha and maca, as part of their daytime routine. The FSA’s 10mg a day figure for CBD is precautionary advice rather than a legal limit, set while longer-term safety research continues. At Evopure we think it is a very cautious figure, and many adults use more. If you go above it, increase slowly, and check with your GP or pharmacist first if you take any medication.

Staying connected

Loneliness is one of the biggest risks of home working. Small, regular contact makes a big difference.

• Use video or a phone call instead of messages for some conversations.
• Keep informal chat going: a team coffee call, a channel for non-work talk.
• Go into the office, or work from a café or coworking space, now and then if you can.
• Plan something social after work, even a short walk with a friend.
• Tell your manager if you’re struggling. They can’t help if they don’t know.

See our guides to loneliness, imposter syndrome and the mental load if you’re juggling work and home.

Working from home in autumn and winter

Dark mornings and early sunsets hit home workers harder, because there’s no commute to get you outside. On some winter days it’s possible to see no daylight at all.

• Get outside in the morning, even for 10 minutes. Daylight is far brighter than indoor lighting, even on a cloudy day.
• Take your lunch break outdoors while it’s light.
• Keep warm and keep moving. Sitting still in a cold room makes the afternoon drag. A short burst of activity warms you up.
• Consider vitamin D. The NHS advises everyone in the UK to consider a 10 microgram vitamin D supplement from October to March. See vitamin D in winter.
• Notice low mood that returns each winter. It could be seasonal affective disorder, which is worth talking to your GP about.

For more ideas, see winter wellness and why you feel tired in winter.

What your employer should do (UK)

In the UK, employers have the same health and safety responsibilities for home workers as for anyone else. According to the Health and Safety Executive, that includes managing work-related stress, keeping in touch with home workers, and assessing display screen equipment (computer) set-ups. If your set-up is causing pain, or your workload is unmanageable, raise it with your manager or HR. Many employers also offer an Employee Assistance Programme with free, confidential counselling.

When to get help

See a GP if you’ve felt low, anxious or unable to cope for more than two weeks, or it’s affecting your work, sleep or relationships. Adults in England can refer themselves to NHS Talking Therapies. If you are in crisis, call 999 or NHS 111, or text SHOUT to 85258. See how to deal with anxiety for more support.

Related guides

• Finding it hard to get started at home? See how to get motivated.
• If work stress has become too much, see signs of a nervous breakdown, including fit notes and time off.
• If work stress has become too much, read how getting signed off work with stress works in the UK.
• How to avoid decision fatigue at work.
• Back sore from your desk? See lower back pain when sitting: desk set-up tips.
• Long days at a laptop can leave your neck tight; see how to ease a stiff neck and set up your screen.
• For your rights and how to raise it with your manager, see stress at work.
• Long days at a laptop can leave your eyes sore: see our dry eyes guide for a simple screen routine.
• For more on keeping work and home separate, see work-life balance tips.
• For a laptop and home desk set-up that’s comfortable, see our guide to posture when working from home.
• Hands tingling after long laptop days? See carpal tunnel symptoms, splints and exercises.
• If your team works remotely, see our ideas for marking Stress Awareness Week 2026 at work.
• Every November, Movember raises money for men’s mental health and suicide prevention; our guide explains how to take part.
• Doing Secret Santa with a remote team? Our Secret Santa rules and budget tips cover posting gifts and e-gift cards.