Working from home has become extremely pervasive during the COVID-19 pandemic, but while there has been considerable attention given to things like productivity and emotional wellbeing, perhaps less attention has been given to our physical health.

New research from the University of Southern California attempts to redress that balance.  It shows that we’re spending around 1.5 hours more at our desk each day, which not only results in lower job satisfaction, but also causes various physical problems, such as neck pain.

The researchers quizzed around 1,000 people regarding the impact remote working was having on their physical and mental wellbeing.  Over 64% of people said they had at least one new physical health issue, with even more reporting at least one new mental health issue.  This problem was especially so for women who didn’t have a very high salary.

Home working

Part of the problem appears to be a lack of dedicated workspace, with just a third of respondents reporting that they had a dedicated room for work.  It was far more common for people to share their workspace with others.

This has resulted in people often adjusting their work hours to better fit around others, which was having a significant impact on their overall health and wellbeing as exercise levels fell and a greater quantity of junk food was consumed.

“The quality of your home workspace is important; having a dedicated workspace signals to others that you are busy, and minimizes the chances of being distracted and interrupted,” the researchers explain. “Increased satisfaction with the environmental quality factors in your workspace, such as lighting, temperature, is associated with a lower chance of having new health issues. In addition, knowing how to adjust your workspace helps with physical health.”