Remote workers struggle with ‘home fever’
OTTAWA, CANADA — As remote work becomes the norm, some employees are experiencing “home fever” or a feeling of restlessness and being trapped while working from home for extended periods.
Project manager Yazmin Machuca first enjoyed working from home in 2020 but eventually felt working remotely blurred boundaries between her job, personal life, and rest, leading to her “home fever.”
“Being at the same place, the same routine, the same environment, doing the same thing every day, that was just something that was just too much,” Machuca said in a CBC interview.
After moving in 2022 with no physical office, she invested in a co-working space membership to separate her home from work.
“You do have to protect that space and have that separation from work. You have to just make your home your home and have a time to just rest.”
IT worker Klim Dartmoor also experienced home fever working fully remotely. He felt stuck and started roofing for more human interaction.
“I kind of felt cooped up in my basement, I wasn’t really leaving at all. I was just doing my school and work from home and only going outside for groceries and whatnot,” he said.
Introverts like Christine Toulouse may be less prone to home fever. Still, she’s “careful about making sure” work and home don’t blend by designating a workspace.
Researchers at Carleton University are exploring the sustainability of telework by studying this emerging condition of home fever.
PhD candidate Farzam Sepanta said a huge social component of work is missing for remote employees. Lack of casual interactions with co-workers over coffee or between meetings could cause home fever over time.
To avoid home fever, Sepanta advises establishing a routine, taking breaks, and staying motivated: “Sometimes, all it takes is changing out of your pajamas.”
