Telecommuting is not a novel concept; and for many, it’s become a way of life. Forbes even recently published a list of the top 100 companies that offer remote positions.
But could the working-from-home option be bad for our health?
According to The New York Times‘ Dr. Dhruv Khullar, in many ways it is. He writes that:
“Social isolation is a growing epidemic—one that’s increasingly recognized as having dire physical, mental and emotional consequences. Since the 1980s, the percentage of American adults who say they’re lonely has doubled from 20 percent to 40 percent.”
He goes on to note that isolation can lead to a number of maladies, including sleeplessness, decrease in cognitive faculties, immune system troubles, and higher stress.
But Khullar notes that while the harmful effects of social isolation are obvious, how to treat the general feeling of loneliness is not. For example, does that mean us stay-at-homers should invite other remote workers over and work together in the same space to bolster our well being? Or should we get out of the house on a regular basis, maybe, taking a jog around the neighborhood or heading to the supermarket on our lunch break?
For more on social isolation and how to “treat” it, click here.
—RealClearLife Staff
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