The COVID-19 pandemic has altered the way people work. As vaccination rates increase, some people are returning to the office. But many companies have opted to keep their employees working from home permanently. This change has positive and negative side effects, including the mental health aspects of working from home.

"Any time there are changes, it can be challenging for people, particularly when you're not used to working from home," says Dr. Greg Couser, a Mayo Clinic psychiatrist and occupational medicine specialist. "I think there's a big issue for people of setting up good boundaries between work and home. So that's a big challenge."

Another challenge for many is missing the in-person contact with co-workers.

"We receive some of our identity from our work," says Dr. Couser. "And so, when we don't have that sort of daily contact with our colleagues, that shifts our identity just a little bit."

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Couser discusses how to cope with the challenges of working from home.