Feeling Isolated Working From Home? What WHO Says About Loneliness
Feeling isolated while working from home is a recognized health concern, not a personality quirk: the World Health Organization (WHO) says about 1 in 6 people worldwide is affected by loneliness and links it to an estimated 871,000 deaths a year (WHO figures published June 30, 2025). WHO's material does not say remote work causes loneliness; it defines the terms, lists what drives it, and names small everyday steps, which are applied to a remote week below.
1. Two different things: isolation and loneliness
WHO separates two ideas that people often mix up:
- Social isolation is the objective state of having too few roles, relationships and interactions with others. WHO notes that it can be counted and measured.
- Loneliness is a subjective, distressing feeling that comes from a gap between the social connections you have and the ones you want or need.
The difference matters. You can be on video calls all day and still feel lonely if none of those interactions feel like real connection. And you can spend most of a day alone and feel fine, if the connection you want exists elsewhere in your life.
WHO also describes social connection as having three dimensions: structure (how many relationships and how often you interact), function (the support exchanged), and quality (whether interactions are positive or strained). A remote job can change all three at once.
2. How common it is
According to WHO's 2025 announcement, about 1 in 6 people worldwide is affected by loneliness. Its Q&A page gives the figure as 15.8 percent. Rates are highest among young people, with 17 to 21 percent of people aged 13 to 29 reporting loneliness, and are similar for men and women. In high-income countries, about 11 percent of people reported feeling lonely, compared with about 24 percent in low-income countries.
3. Why it is a health issue
WHO's announcement states that loneliness is linked to an estimated 871,000 deaths a year, about 100 every hour. It lists increased risks of stroke, heart disease, diabetes, cognitive decline and premature death, and says people who are lonely are twice as likely to get depressed.
Work is affected too. WHO says lonely adults may find it harder to find or keep a job and may earn less over time, and its Q&A page notes that lonely people may struggle at work and face job instability.
4. What drives it
WHO's Q&A page lists several drivers, including:
- poor physical or mental health;
- living alone or without a partner;
- major life changes such as moving, job loss, retirement or bereavement;
- weak community resources such as a lack of transport, parks or leisure spaces;
- excessive or harmful use of digital media.
Several of these can overlap with remote work for some people, such as living alone or moving for a remote job. That does not make loneliness inevitable. It makes it worth noticing early.
5. Small steps WHO highlights
WHO's announcement says each person can make a difference through simple everyday steps, and names several:
- reaching out to a friend in need;
- putting away your phone to be fully present in conversation;
- greeting a neighbor;
- joining a local group;
- volunteering.
It also says that if the problem is more serious, finding out about available support and services matters.
6. Turning that into a remote workweek
Here is one way to build those steps into a schedule. These are practical suggestions, not WHO prescriptions:
| When | Idea |
|---|---|
| Start of day | A short walk where you greet a neighbor or say hello at a local shop |
| Midday | A phone-free lunch with someone in your household, or a call with a friend |
| One afternoon a week | Work from a library or a shared space for a few hours |
| One evening a week | A class, club, sports group or volunteer shift |
| Weekly | One call that is not about work, with your camera on |
Two habits help at work, too. First, ask for a little unstructured time in team calls, such as five minutes before the agenda. Second, use voice or video for conversations that are going in circles in chat. Both add the "quality" dimension WHO describes, not just more contact.
7. When to get help
If loneliness lasts, or comes with low mood, trouble sleeping, or thoughts of self-harm, talk to a doctor or a mental health professional. WHO lists anxiety and thoughts of self-harm or suicide among the effects of loneliness. If you are in crisis in the United States, you can call or text 988, or chat online, to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which says it is free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day.
8. Key takeaways
- WHO defines social isolation as too few relationships and interactions, and loneliness as the painful gap between the connection you have and the connection you want.
- About 1 in 6 people worldwide is affected by loneliness, according to WHO.
- WHO links loneliness to about 871,000 deaths a year and to higher risks of stroke, heart disease and depression.
- Living alone and major life changes such as moving are among the drivers WHO lists.
- Small, regular steps, like greeting a neighbor or joining a group, are the kind of action WHO encourages.