Is Working Remotely Bad for Your Health?

Imagine rolling out of bed in the morning and, rather than racing to get out the door and into morning traffic, you could go for a run or make yourself breakfast. It’s the kind of daydream every chained-to-his-desk office worker has now and then. And for many, that daydream has become a reality.

Following the Great Recession and the rise of the app-driven gig economy, more and more American workers have found themselves jettisoned from traditional office spaces and thrust into jobs that require them to work remotely, at least some of the time.

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A recent survey (albeit one conducted by a cloud computing company) found that remote workers are much more likely to exercise and eat right than their office-bound colleagues. There’s also no shortage of evidence linking long commutes to stress, high blood pressure, aches and pains, and other health issues. If remote work gets people out of rush-hour traffic, that’s undoubtedly a good thing.

On the other hand, research from Cornell University finds that remote workers are at greater risk for feeling personally and professionally isolated than their in-office colleagues. Social isolation has been associated with significant increases in both mortality risk and risk for a heart attack or stroke. More research had tied social isolation to depression and problems sleeping.

Read the whole story (subscription may be required): TIME