Why Working from Home is Harming Midlife Men’s Health

Since the pandemic, I’ve noticed a growing trend in my clinic: more and more midlife men, often family men in high-pressure careers, are struggling with their health. And there’s one common thread running through their stories: working from home.

While remote work has its conveniences, it has also created some serious challenges for men’s physical and mental health, particularly those in their 40s and 50s.

The Hidden Health Costs of Working from Home

In the past, working in an office provided a built-in structure:

• Chats by the water cooler or grabbing a coffee with a colleague.

• Commuting to work and walking between meetings.

• Defined start and finish times that allowed work to stay at work.

Now, for many men, those things have disappeared. Instead, their days are filled with:

• Back-to-back Zoom calls with little movement in between.

• Unstructured eating habits, often grabbing quick snacks from the kitchen at any time.

• Minimal physical activity, sometimes just moving from one room to another.

• Constant availability, checking emails in bed or responding to messages late into the evening.

  
  

The lack of boundaries between home and work is one of the biggest challenges I see. Without a commute to create natural separation, it’s hard to switch off. The “office” may now be the living room or spare bedroom, which means work stress often bleeds straight into family life.

The Impact on Family and Mental Wellbeing

Family life should be enriching and fulfilling. But when work stress carries over into home, many men find themselves feeling drained, snappy, or simply unable to enjoy quality time with their loved ones. Whether it’s helping children with homework, juggling busy schedules, or managing bedtime chaos, these moments can feel overwhelming instead of joyful.

This constant pressure takes a toll, not just physically, but mentally. Men often internalise their struggles, pushing on without asking for help. Too many believe that feeling stressed, tired, or unfit is “just part of midlife.” But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Why Men Don’t Ask for Help

It’s common for men to avoid seeking support, even when they know something isn’t right. They may:

• Brush off health concerns until they become serious.

• Avoid talking about stress, isolation, or low energy with friends or family.

• Convince themselves it’s normal to feel this way at this stage of life.

  
  

But ignoring the problem only makes things worse. Heart health, prostate checks, mental wellbeing, they’re all vital. And the truth is, support is available.

How Health Coaching Can Help

As a professional health coach based in Claygate, Surrey, I specialise in working with midlife men and women, both in person and online, who want to reclaim their health, energy, and confidence.

Health coaching provides:

• A safe, non-judgemental space to talk openly about challenges.

• Practical, personalised strategies for improving nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress management.

• Support in setting clear boundaries between work and home life.

• Guidance on making small, sustainable changes that last.

  
  

The result.... better energy, more confidence, and a healthier, more enjoyable family and work life.

Take the First Step

If someone in your family is working from home, check in with how they’re really doing. Don’t settle for the automatic “I’m fine.” Ask again, sometimes that second question is what makes someone pause and realise they’re not actually ok.

And if you recognise yourself in what I’ve described, know this: you don’t have to carry on struggling. Support is here.

I offer a free, no-obligation 15-minute consultation where we can explore your situation and see how health coaching can help.

Based in Claygate, Surrey, I work with clients both locally and online.

Book a FREE 15 minute call using the calendar or call me and take the first step towards better health.