The Dark Side of Working from Home: Loneliness, Routine and Self-Expectations

A few weeks ago, I wrote about my one-year anniversary working remotely and how I’ve started to enjoy fake commuting. But while writing that article, I realized something important — working from home also has its dark sides.

And no, I’m not talking about those viral LinkedIn posts where a CEO complains about tracking employees’ screens. I’m talking about something deeper and more human — isolation, loneliness, and losing motivation.

Maybe it’s the autumn, maybe it’s my mood — but there are days when I’m just not happy about working from home. If you’re thinking about switching to remote work, you should read this first.

1. Sometimes I Feel Isolated

The only person I talked to today was a DPD courier who brought my Nespresso package. Cool three-minute interaction, right?
My husband works in the city today, so I’m completely alone at home. And even when he’s home, he works from another room — far enough that we might as well be in different buildings.

I have:

One meeting per week (that’s all)
Online communities that I follow
Pilates training in our village

But it’s not enough. I’m an extrovert, and I need people. Energy, connection, random small talk — all those little human moments you don’t realize you miss until they’re gone.

2. Every Day Feels the Same

Sometimes I literally don’t know what day it is. Why?
Because all my days look identical.

Here’s my typical routine:

Wake up at 6:30
Make coffee
Chat with my husband
Work until lunch at 12:00
Continue until 17:00
Repeat

No events, no spontaneous coffee breaks, no random talks with colleagues. Just bugs, refactoring, and small improvements. Every day blurs into the next.

And that’s when I think: maybe I need therapy.

3. I Set Unrealistically High Expectations for Myself

My time management is actually great — but my expectations are even higher.
Working from home can trick you into believing you need to be perfect all the time.

Here’s what that looks like:

Feeling guilty if I’m not productive enough
Stressing over how long a complex bug takes
Losing track of time and working after hours
Forgetting that rest is also part of the process

Because I work from home, I rarely allow myself to truly relax. I often chase the feeling of a “completed To-Do list,” even when it’s impossible to finish everything in a single day.

Sometimes I need to remind myself: great things require time.

4. I Forget About Self-Care

When you don’t leave your house, self-care starts to fade into the background.

There are days when I:

Skip my skincare routine
Don’t prepare a nice bath or face mask
Feel too tired to do anything “just for me”

Instead, I take a quick shower and binge-watch Netflix — but it doesn’t make me happy. For me, self-care is therapy. Without it, I feel tired, overwhelmed, and disconnected from myself.

Conclusion: Remote Work Isn’t for Everyone

Working remotely sounds like a dream — and for many, it truly is. But for others, it can become a quiet struggle. Humans are social creatures, and I’m one of them.

I miss people. I miss connection. And honestly, I think it’s time for me to return to a hybrid work plan — a balance between focus and community, between productivity and human contact.