The Human Side

When home-based work becomes a lonely routine

Remote work has changed how many South Africans spend their working day. Looking after your social well-being deserves a place alongside productivity and flexibility.

Image: Helena Lopes.

Home-based work can spare you a commute and give you more control over your day. The quieter side can sneak in unannounced. A week fills with emails, calls and deadlines, while casual conversation falls away. You can talk to people the entire day and still miss the ease of being around someone without an agenda involved.

UCT research into remote work in South Africa found a small positive link between work that required contact with colleagues and social well-being. The finding does not mean every home worker becomes lonely. However, it does show why ordinary contact deserves a place alongside workload and output.

Loneliness at home does not always look dramatic. It can look like a productive day, a closed laptop and the sudden realisation that every conversation had a purpose.

When every day starts to look the same

A productive week can quietly become a lonely one without much warning. Every task gets done, every meeting happens, and every deadline is met, yet genuine conversation becomes harder to find because almost every interaction has a purpose attached to it.

The first sign worth noticing may be repetition (the feeling of being "stuck in a rut"). Work starts, work ends, you have dinner, you watch an episode of a series (or commit to a movie), you go to sleep, and the same pattern repeats the next day. Stellenbosch Business School has linked remote work with reduced interpersonal contact and possible disconnection from colleagues.

Small changes can break the routine

A dramatic social overhaul is unnecessary. One coffee, a short walk with a neighbour or friend, or a weekly call with no work agenda could give your day a more human edge. Small contact can protect adult friendships when everyone’s diary is crowded.

A visible end to work can help as well. Close the laptop, change rooms, step outside or complete one small errand. The aim is not to turn every evening into a social event; it is to stop paid work from taking every available corner of home life. People who work alone may find value in human connection in digital work, especially when most contact arrives through a screen.

Reaching out is part of looking after yourself

A manager can help with regular one-to-one conversations, team contact or occasional office days where possible. Freelancers and self-employed readers can try a library, café or shared workspace once a week. SADAG provides South African helplines, support groups and callback options when loneliness becomes difficult to manage alone.

Home-based work does not have to become a life lived between a laptop and a kettle. A few deliberate points of contact can give the week more warmth without taking away the freedom that drew you home in the first place.

You do not need to rebuild your entire routine in one weekend. Start with one person, one plan and one reason to leave the house. Home can be your workplace without becoming your whole world.