Here is what you can do if remote work is making you paranoid

Remote Work Making You Paranoid? Here’s How To Prevent It

The next phase of remote work is in order. While many companies have returned to the office, others have implemented a hybrid work arrangement, while some still maintain a 100% remote policy. However, the social aspects of the remote workplace have begun to take their toll on the average remote worker. Furthermore, many remote workers report a feeling of paranoia. So if remote work making you paranoid is a daily or weekly occurrence, you aren’t alone. Find out what you can do to prevent it and pull yourself out of one of the more stressful situations of being a remote worker.

What Is Work From Home Paranoia or Remote Work Paranoia?

At its core, paranoia is the unjust or unrealistic mistrust of others or the feeling of impending persecution without any concrete direct or underlying causes. In the medical community, it’s often the result of mental illness — whether temporary or long-lasting.

Remote work paranoia is a milder version of paranoia that’s not caused by mental illness. It’s typically the result of misinterpreting a comment or action from a boss or fellow remote worker. For example, a person may feel workplace paranoia because of an innocuous comment on a work collaboration tool or a sent email where the recipient takes too long to respond. When these things happen, paranoia takes over, and the person feels as though they’re disliked, ostracized, or on the brink of termination.

The phenomenon is so new to researchers and medical experts that the root of the cause is somewhat unknown. No known studies have covered remote work paranoia, so understanding it has proved difficult. However, many experts believe that loneliness, isolation, and a lack of social interaction are to blame. In addition, remote work makes gauging others nearly impossible, while the recognition of facial expressions and body language proves difficult.



According to the 2022 State of Remote Work Report from Buffer, 24% of remote workers cite loneliness as their biggest struggle. An additional 17% find that communication and collaboration are their greatest difficulty. Add in that 4 out of 5 workers have the inability to unplug or “shut off” with respect to remote work, and the problem only gets worse.

Whatever the reason, remote work paranoia can make even seasoned workers feel mistrust, fear, uncertainty, and doubt. These symptoms can be mild, but they may also result in a crippling effect, making remote work all the more difficult.

How To Prevent Remote Work Making You Paranoid

Despite the overwhelming effect of remote work making you paranoid, you have plenty of options to lessen it — or better yet — eliminate it altogether. Here are a few things you might want to try.

Talk About It

One of the greatest aspects of human nature is the ability to empathize with others. Remote work may pose problems, but talking about workplace paranoia can relieve your symptoms. While you may feel uncomfortable talking directly to your boss, other people are willing to listen. Talk to a loved one, family member, friend, or spouse about your feelings.

They should be able to help you find the cause of the issue or alleviate negative thoughts. Even trusted coworkers may offer a virtual shoulder because they can relate to you. However, you may also be surprised how much managers and bosses are open to discussion, even if they don’t border on magnanimous. Sometimes the most direct approach is the best one.

Get a True Work-Life Balance and More Sleep

The ability to unplug isn’t inherent in many remote workers. In fact, work-life balance can often teeter to the point of working all the time, especially to meet deadlines or project goals. However, remote work shouldn’t be a work-all-the-time arrangement. It’s still all about balance.

Getting more sleep — or making sleep a high priority — can often help. Moreover, you should start to say no to extra work and yes to social interactions. When work overtakes your life to the point where you don’t see friends or family, you’re increasing your odds of workplace paranoia. Prioritize friendships and social interactions, get more sleep, and exercise or meditate. You should see your workplace paranoia effectively melt away.



Take a Chill Pill

Though the idiom “take a chill pill” is perhaps a bit outdated with its 1980s roots, the phrase should help with remote work making you paranoid. Simply put, just relax.

In a remote forum, you have no insight into the tone of online comments nor do you have the benefit of reading someone. To some degree, the personal interactions that you counted on in the past are no longer an option. In a busy remote workplace, even video conferences aren’t always possible. Simply put, you have no frame of reference as to whether you should feel paranoia. And in most cases, it’s all in your head.

Rather than brood over the length of time it takes for a boss or coworker to respond to an email, overthinking a comment on Slack, or just letting your feelings get the best of you, just relax. People have other tasks that may take precedence, or you may just have interpreted a comment.

So take a chill pill, or more directly, find something that takes your mind off emails and work in general. Take a 15-minute break, have a meditation session, or go for a walk. Over time, you’ll learn what gives your mind a rest, and subsequently, the things you can do that are effective at reducing workplace paranoia.

Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome is also thought to be a leading cause of remote work making you paranoid. This psychological condition is when a person feels as though they:

  • Are undeserving of their achievements
  • Lack the expertise to do their job
  • Are incompetent at their position
  • Are a fraud or hack with their exposure as such imminent

People with imposter syndrome have many of the same afflictions as those with workplace paranoia, although the cause of the issue may differ. The good news is that overcoming imposter syndrome is similar to overcoming workplace paranoia with a few extra tasks thrown into the mix. Acknowledging your expertise and accomplishments, avoiding comparisons to peers, sharing your feelings, and disengaging from social media have all been proven effective.



Remote Work Making You Paranoid Still? Patience and Understanding Are Crucial

If the steps above aren’t effective, you may want to take a different direction — one toward patience and understanding. Because you don’t see coworkers daily, knowing their schedules and personal lives isn’t easy. But always give clients, coworkers, and bosses the benefit of the doubt. Most people aren’t sitting by their computer waiting to answer an email or instant message. They have families, obligations, and social events that take precedence.

As a result, the best thing you can do if remote work is making you paranoid is to simply relax. With a bit of patience and comprehension that you aren’t always the top priority, you can ease off the paranoia and embrace understanding. It may take a bit of practice, but the dread you feel from workplace paranoia is obviously the greater of two evils. Unplug, listen to music, exercise, or just do anything else. Your mental state depends on it.


What are your top tips for staying positive and confident when working remotely? Connect with Virtual Vocations on FacebookTwitterLinkedInInstagram, and YouTube to share your thoughts and tips. We’d love to hear from you!



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