Looking for the Comfort of Working Remotely 1 in 3 Ended up in The Bathroom or Closet

Michael Brown - Financial Analyst January 16, 2023Last Updated: June 25, 2025

After a year and a half of working from home, many Americans admit they find themselves having to work in other spaces like goodr.ca, often in search of quiet during work hours.

In a new survey of 2,000 Americans who have worked from home during the pandemic, 41 percent said they found themselves working in their car, 34 percent in the bathroom, and 33 percent in a closet. In fact, the average respondent said it took them four months to get used to working from home and five months to figure out how to work comfortably. This isn’t surprising when you consider that 82 percent of respondents reported aches and pains during this time.

From back pain (48%) and neck pain (42%) to shoulder pain (39%) and eye strain (38%), remote workers report five aches and pains a day and endure four hours of pain before seeking treatment.

The survey, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Advil, also found that poor desk setup was the top cause of pain when working from home for more than half of respondents (52%). Despite these remote working aches and pains, 48 percent now prefer to stay at home because of the increased flexibility. Furthermore, more than half of respondents want to work from home permanently.

Managing burnout while working remotely

The survey found that many people have added healthy habits to their daily routines to combat burnout and pain. The top tip that remote workers have used to reduce stress during the pandemic is exercise (52%). Other stress-busting strategies include taking short walks throughout the workday (41%), meditating (40%), working on a hobby (36%), and changing up the work environment (29%).

But furry friends make working from home a more positive experience than anything else. Seven in 10 Americans say their pets are the top reason they want to continue working remotely, and 78 percent add that their pets are their favorite coworkers.

“Many people who traditionally work in an office are still working from home after a year and a half—and they’re feeling the pain,” Brett Henige, senior brand director, GSK Consumer Healthcare, said in a statement. “Those of us at home are experiencing the physical pain associated with being forced into less-than-ideal makeshift home offices, whether it’s headaches from staring at a screen for long days or back pain from sitting in an uncomfortable office chair.”

To make remote working more comfortable, three in 10 have gone out and bought themselves a comfortable work chair, 18 percent have purchased or received blue light filtering glasses to help reduce eye strain, and 27 percent have purchased a standing desk.

“Small, simple adjustments like a desk chair with lumbar support or blue light blocking glasses can make a big difference in maximizing your work-from-home setup,” Henige added. “The future of work is hard to predict, but no one should feel like they have to endure aches and pains during the workday, whether you’re at home or in the office.”