I work from home full-time – my mental health has never been better

Emma Clarke
·Contributor
Updated ·6-min read
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 12: Former Marks and Spencer's boss and the current chairman of the 'Britain Stronger in Europe' campaign Lord Stuart Rose speaks during a press conference at The Truman Brewery on October 12, 2015 in London, England. Stuart Rose was launching the 'Britain Stronger In Europe Campaign', setting out his vision to persuade voters to keep Britain in the EU ahead of the proposed referendum. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
Former Asda boss Lord Stuart Rose has said that working remotely has impacted employee productivity. (Getty Images)

According to Lord Stuart Rose, the former boss of Asda and Marks & Spencer, working from home has created a generation who are "not doing proper work."

In a Panorama interview, the retail boss addressed the shift that companies such as Boots, Amazon and JP Morgan are making towards five days a week in the office, stating: "We have regressed in this country in terms of working practices, productivity and in terms of the country's wellbeing, I think, by 20 years in the last four."

The comments come after Lord Rose stepped down as chairman of Asda, following a bad performance in the 12 weeks leading to Christmas – the company’s worst since 2015. Not only did profits see a 5.8% drop, its market share plummeted to 12.5% and the firm announced that job cuts were inevitable.

What Lord Rose’s comments fail to acknowledge, however, is that not only is a vast portion of the country (41%) already back to the office five days a week, only 13% are fully remote, as per the latest ONS figures from December 2024.

Moreover, those who are most likely to adopt a hybrid set-up are in more senior positions, over 30s and/or parents – which not only dispels the broader belief that younger people are less inclined to work in an office, as has been the pedalled line for many years, but also illustrates the need for more affordable and flexible childcare in the UK, especially if there is an increased demand to return to the office.

Although there is no doubt that the pandemic has had a long-lasting effect on employees and the way we all view work-life balance – even for those who are now back in the office full-time – to blame productivity levels or the state of the economy squarely on WFH seems lazy and reductive, to say the least. It also negates how local economies have been boosted and for some, remote working has greatly benefited their mental health and wellbeing.

I know that’s the case for me.

Not only did I work in the office pretty much the entirety of the pandemic, I soon went back to five days a week once we were given the green light by the government.

London, UK - February 26, 2018: View of the London Underground subway Stockwell with train at station platform with people visible. The Underground, also known as the Tube, is a rapid transit system serving the greater London area.
Rush hour on the Tube is never fun. (Getty Images)

In some ways, it was beneficial. It made managing and communicating with my team easier and made me feel slightly less isolated (I lived alone during the pandemic). But there were so many downsides to being in the office that I had all but forgotten about – or had previously glamourised.

For example, I once relished the daily commute, as though I was part of some slick, well-oiled corporate machine. I enjoyed getting the Tube every day and the sense of accomplishment and success that I derived from it. But after the pandemic, I was reminded of how unpleasant a packed carriage really is – how soul-destroying it is to have your face in someone's armpit for 40 minutes straight, as well as the slow trudge to the escalators as commuters sleepily make their way up to street level.

Equally, as much as I enjoyed interacting with colleagues in person again, I forgot how tempting it is to pop over to someone's desk unannounced – something I was guilty of too. When you're in the midst of a thought or you've got your head down and feel like you are making progress, there is nothing worse than someone disrupting your flow and eating into your time. At least when you are at home, you have scheduled calls and you can reply to Slack messages when you are ready to – there's no such luxury when you are in the office.

Similarly, despite the many Zoom calls we had during the pandemic, I found my days in the office to be a series of successive meetings – sometimes we'd even have meetings about meetings. I actually found it far less productive to be in, as all my time was accounted for, which meant I either had to forgo lunch or breaks, or do my actual work in my own time – increasing my sense of stress, anxiety and burnout.

What really irked me, however, was when I was forced to turn away talent because they couldn't come into the office five days a week. I was incredibly short-staffed and overworked, and I was unable to employ staff who were otherwise perfect for the vacant roles out of some antiquated rule. For me, this meant the opposite of productivity and meant the company was squeezing more from staff for less.

Side view of beautiful young woman working with laptop while drinking coffee at cafe. Flexible working. Coworking space and shared office.
I have found that working in a cafe or social environment can also help me feel connected. (Getty Images)

I've been working remotely full-time for the past two years – and honestly, I've never felt healthier and more at ease. I have to attribute some of that to going freelance as well, as it's a different setup to what I had previously, but having a flexible working model means everything to me.

I eat much better when I am at home. I go for regular walks and actually see daylight. I have time to consider my responses on email and Slack, and avoid unnecessary workplace conflict as a result. I have time to do housework and errands on my break. And I reduce my contact with external stressors when I feel low or anxious.

When I do feel lonely or in need of company, I can technically pop into the office or work in a social environment to take off the edge, but it's on my terms. Plus, unlike during the pandemic, I am now able to see friends and family once more, so it's not quite so alienating to be remote.

I am no less productive than I was in the office – in fact, I would say I am more so. When I'm not on shift I tend to pick up extra work when I feel able to do so.

But what's better is, I can sustain healthier, more balanced relationships with colleagues and work. I've had to reframe many deep-rooted beliefs I held, but I know now that it is, in fact, possible to have a life beyond my career and still be successful and hard-working. One does not cancel the other out.

In order for a complete return to the office, working environments have to be improved. There cannot be such a high investment – in terms of time, energy and personal wellbeing – from employees if employers are not committed to deliver the same. To get buy-in from staff, they need to see that things have changed and that companies cannot still push the same agenda they were five years ago.

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