I'm an advocate of working from home—I've written about its benefits and genuinely believe it's been a positive development in my career. But I can't pretend everything is perfect. Reality has awakened me several times, and even though I've managed to create something close to ideal working conditions, I've found plenty of reasons to grumble.

I'm not alone in this complicated relationship with remote work. Based on recent statistics, 69% of remote employees experience burnout, and 55% say it's hard to feel connected to coworkers. These numbers tell a story that the "work in your pajamas!" articles conveniently skip over.

So let's talk honestly about the downsides of working remotely—not to discourage it, but because understanding the challenges is the first step to managing them.

The Schedule That Refuses to Exist

As lucky as I feel to work from home, circumstances have forced me to change my daily routine not once, not twice, but three times. For someone like me, whose adherence to a schedule is essential, this constant upheaval is exhausting.

Let's face it: when you work from home, there is no schedule—or at least, I'm not disciplined enough to convince myself to sit in front of the computer for set hours. What happens instead? The preparation required for remote work, combined with my perfectionism, results in being in front of the computer screen all day trying to complete in one day what I could, under other circumstances, complete in two or three.

This isn't just a personal failing. According to Buffer's research, 11% of remote workers cite difficulty disconnecting from work as their biggest challenge. Late at night, when I finally say "Enough, shut down the computer," that's when the damn email arrives, or the notification pops up, reminding me that I'm not done—and there are things I'd forgotten entirely.

The boundary between "work time" and "personal time" doesn't just blur—it disappears completely. When your office is also your living room (or bedroom, or kitchen table), work is always there, waiting.

The Overwork Trap

Here's the irony nobody tells you about: working from home often means working more, not less.

A Forbes report found that 75% of remote workers spend time on non-work activities like social media, online shopping, or watching shows during work hours. But here's what happens next: to compensate, many of us extend our workday well past what we'd ever do in an office.

In an office, there's a clear endpoint. People start packing up, the energy shifts, and you leave. At home, there's no such signal. The work just... continues. And because you took that thirty-minute break to handle laundry or scroll through Instagram, you feel guilty, so you keep working until 9 PM to make up for it.

The result is a strange paradox: you're technically more flexible, but you're also never truly off. Your laptop becomes this constant presence, silently judging you from the corner of your eye.

The Loneliness Nobody Admits To

I have to admit that working from home isn't entirely responsible for the feeling of isolation some of us experience—each to a different degree. But it certainly doesn't help.

It's not uncommon for me to think of moments in previous work environments where I could have small talk with people—real conversation, not through a computer screen. A quick chat by the coffee machine. A shared eye roll during a boring meeting. The casual "how was your weekend?" that leads to an actual human connection.

The research backs this up. According to recent studies, 68% of decision-makers see maintaining social connections within teams as one of their biggest challenges. And the consequences are real: 51% of employees feel their relationships with coworkers outside their immediate team have weakened, leaving 43% feeling disconnected from their company entirely.

Perhaps most concerning: 25% of remote workers report an overall decline in social skills as a consequence of working remotely over the years. When your primary interaction with colleagues is through Slack messages and Zoom calls, something fundamental gets lost.

Indeed, the lack of communication and its long-term effects are worth considering. We're social creatures, and a video call—no matter how many breakout rooms you create—can't fully replace being in the same physical space with other humans.

The New Anxieties That Replace the Old Ones

Admittedly, the most important negative aspect of working from home is creating entirely new sources of stress. The productive stress of deadlines and projects continues to exist, of course. But I've noticed something troubling: even though I've avoided several stressful situations—like the commute—my daily stress hasn't decreased. It's found new places to live.

A new series of stressful situations has emerged: anxiety about a possible power interruption during an important call. Anxiety about the internet connection dropping. Anxiety about the neighbor's construction noise. Anxiety about whether my background looks professional. Anxiety about various little things that otherwise wouldn't have affected me and certainly wouldn't have stressed me out in an office.

Anxiety, anxiety, anxiety.

Owl Labs data shows that workplace stress has remained consistently high since 2022, with 45% of workers reporting increased stress levels. Remote work was supposed to reduce stress by eliminating commutes and office politics. Instead, for many of us, it just traded one set of anxieties for another.

The Career Consequences Nobody Talks About

Here's a troubling reality that remote work enthusiasts often overlook: working from home can actually hurt your career trajectory.

Research shows that remote workers get promoted 31% less frequently than their hybrid or in-office peers. The reason? They miss out on office interactions and the chance to build relationships that translate to promotions and opportunities.

It's called proximity bias, and it's very real. According to a KPMG survey, 87% of CEOs say they're more likely to reward employees who come to the office with favorable assignments, raises, or promotions. By choosing remote work, you may be falling out of favor with the leaders whose decisions impact your career—even if your work is excellent.

Remote workers also report challenges with visibility. In a 2023 survey, 37% of remote workers said getting recognized by leadership was their biggest challenge, followed by collaborating effectively (30%) and getting promoted (28%).

The sad truth is that in many organizations, being seen matters as much as—or more than—the quality of your actual work. Out of sight really can mean out of mind.

The Learning That Doesn't Happen

Research shows that 60% of workers say the best way to learn a job is being around coworkers. For younger professionals especially—Gen Z and Millennials starting new jobs—seeing more experienced colleagues interact and problem-solve is how you build skills you didn't know you needed.

This kind of learning doesn't translate well to remote work. You can't overhear how a senior colleague handles a difficult client call. You don't catch the nuances of office politics and professional navigation. You miss the informal mentorship that happens in hallways and break rooms.

For entry-level workers, this is particularly challenging. Remote positions are less available at the entry level—only about 28% of entry-level jobs offer remote or hybrid options, compared to nearly 45% of senior positions. So the people who might benefit most from workplace flexibility often can't access it, while those who've already built their networks and skills enjoy the perks.

When Your Home Isn't Built for Work

Not everyone has a dedicated home office with good lighting, an ergonomic chair, and a door that closes. Many remote workers are operating from kitchen tables, corners of bedrooms, or shared spaces where interruptions are constant.

If you have roommates, a partner who also works from home, or children, the logistics become even more complicated. Your "office" might be wherever you can find quiet, which changes throughout the day. Important calls require elaborate scheduling around everyone else's needs.

There's also the financial reality: while you save on commuting costs, you're now paying for your own electricity, heating, internet upgrades, office equipment, and supplies that an employer would typically provide. These costs add up, and not all employers offer stipends to offset them.

Making Remote Work Actually Work

Despite everything I've described, working from home remains a positive development in my career. Weighing the pros and cons, the scales still tilt to the positive side. But acknowledging the challenges is how we start addressing them.

Here's what has helped:

Create non-negotiable boundaries. Set a firm end time for your workday and stick to it. Close the laptop. Leave the room where you work if possible. The notifications will still be there tomorrow—and most of them aren't actually urgent.

Combat isolation intentionally. Schedule virtual coffee chats with colleagues. Join professional communities online. Make sure you're leaving your house for non-work reasons—meet friends, take classes, go to the gym. Your social needs won't meet themselves.

Stay visible. If your company offers hybrid options, use them strategically. Be present for important meetings and team events. Document your accomplishments and share them. Don't assume your work speaks for itself—in a remote environment, you need to help people see it.

Address the anxiety sources. Get a backup internet solution. Have a plan for power outages. Create a professional-looking background. When you've addressed the practical worries, the anxiety decreases.

Invest in your workspace. A good chair, proper lighting, and a dedicated work area aren't luxuries—they're investments in your health and productivity. Treat your home office as seriously as any employer would treat their workspace.

The Honest Conclusion

Remote work isn't perfect. Anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something—probably a productivity app or a standing desk.

But imperfect doesn't mean bad. It means real. And real things can be improved when we're honest about what needs improving.

I'm optimistic that as we all become more experienced with remote work—and as we eventually find whatever "normalcy" looks like now—many of these challenges will ease. We'll get better at setting boundaries. Companies will get better at promoting remote workers fairly. We'll figure out how to maintain human connection through screens, or we'll build hybrid arrangements that give us the best of both worlds.

Until then, I'll keep grumbling occasionally—because sometimes a good grumble is exactly what you need. And then I'll go back to work. From home. Where, despite everything, I still prefer to be.

Related Reading:

• How to Manage Your Time Effectively

• How to Set and Preserve Boundaries

• Toxic Positivity: When Positive Thinking Becomes Too Much