The Psychology of Fulfillment: Finding the Work Environment Where You Thrive
4 Reasons Remote Work Is Your Ideal Fit
Discover why some professionals experience higher autonomy, better mental health, and peak performance when working outside the traditional office.
By Mark Travers, Ph.D. | Last Updated:
Remote work, today, is no longer seen as a working person's utopian dream, as it was once painted. It has become the most emotionally charged workplace topic since open offices. Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily disillusioned us to the reality of work-from-home, the arrangement has been viewed as polarizing at best. One camp swears remote work destroys culture, productivity and sanity. The other insists that the "office" is an outdated relic, and anyone who wants to return simply misses free snacks.
The truth, as it usually does, lies somewhere in the middle. Remote work actually works wonderfully for some people, and data backs this up. While remote isn't ideal for individuals who need high external stimulation or tight structure, it is exceptionally supportive for others who thrive in autonomy-rich, distraction-free environments.
1. Remote Work Satisfies Your Need For Control
Some people simply perform at a higher level when they're given autonomy. They usually don't need pep talks, surveillance or someone to set the pace for them. What they really need is space and a say in how they structure their workday.
Some people simply do their best when they hold the reins of their own schedule, environment and workflow. A recent 2025 diary study of 85 public-sector employees, spanning 605 daily assessments over two weeks, confirms this.
The authors found that remote work days were consistently associated with increased feelings of autonomy and competence, which translated into higher well-being. Meanwhile, although remote work reduced feelings of "relatedness" (i.e. closeness to colleagues), that drop did not meaningfully undermine well-being or work satisfaction.
Depending on one's personality and their psychological and professional needs, they should be able to extract the following "perks" from remote work:
- Control over their daily schedule
- The ability to manage sensory input (noise, lighting, temperature, etc.)
- Fewer unnecessary check-ins
- More uninterrupted "flow" time
So, if excessive oversight drains your energy or you do your best thinking in solitude, remote work gives your brain the conditions it needs to function at full capacity.
2. Remote Work Enables Deep Work For The Easily Distracted
The modern open-plan office was sold as a hub for collaboration and creativity, but, in reality, it often destroys concentration. For many tasks that require deep thinking, precision or sustained focus, the constant background hum of coworkers, random interruptions and ambient noise can be needlessly crippling.
A 2024 diary study published in the Journal of Business and Psychology comparing performance on home-work days versus office-work days found that, on average, remote work correlated with improved job performance.
For people who struggle with focus in noisy or socially intense environments, remote work doesn't just feel easier; it literally enables and boosts real cognitive clarity and output. The ability to customize one's environment and schedule, to batch deep work when one's energy is high, and to avoid constant "office theatre," often leads to waves of concentrated productivity that simply aren't possible in a typical office cubicle farm.
3. Remote Work Improves Your Mental Health
The same 2025 diary-based study cited above, using the framework of self-determination theory, found that working from home repeatedly satisfied basic psychological needs of:
- Autonomy (feeling in control)
- Competence (feeling effective and capable)
Importantly, this translated into better well-being overall and even increased prosocial behaviour towards colleagues. For many, the office is a source of social comparison, overstimulation and pressure to mask. Remote work days remove those chronic stressors and replenish these quickly depleting psychological resources.
There are specific groups benefit with a work-from-home arrangement far more than others, like:
- Highly sensitive persons (HSPs)
- Neurodivergent workers
- Those with chronic health conditions
- Caregivers or parents
- Introverts
When your nervous system works differently from the "office norm," remote work offers a calmer, more supportive environment.
4. Remote Work Protects Your Work–Life Balance
Work-from-office non-negotiables, like the daily morning commute, can disrupt work-life balance. Commuting is often dismissed as "just part of the job," but its psychological costs suggest that it's far more than that. The time, energy and mental load that one must expend on it twice every day can drain anyone, especially someone whose personality is more suited to a remote work arrangement.
One large-scale global survey of workers across 27 countries found that remote work saved individuals an average of 72 minutes per day by cutting commute time. Interestingly, much of that "reclaimed" time didn't disappear. Approximately 40% of it was redirected into work, 34% into leisure and 11% into caregiving or other personal activities. Over weeks and months, these 72 minutes can really add up.
For individuals seeking better work–life balance, that reclaimed time can be life-changing. Opening up key slots in their day for more sleep, real meals, midday breaks, exercise and personal hobbies. In this sense, remote work doesn't just shift how you structure your daily tasks; it can transform the way you live. For workers with caregiving responsibilities or chronic fatigue, that flexibility can be especially empowering.
The Key To Knowing If Remote Work Is For You
The "remote versus office" debate is less about which side is right and more about striking a person–environment fit. Remote work is one of several different environments one can work in, and for millions, it's the one in which they genuinely thrive.
The important thing to remember is that preferring remote work doesn't make you "lazy," "unmotivated" or "anti-social." It often means you're wired for autonomy, focus and self-directed productivity.
If remote work has ever felt like a guilty indulgence or something you needed to justify, you must reiterate to yourself that you, like many other people, flourish precisely because it offers the quiet, flexibility and independence you're built for. It isn't about rejecting office life; it's about choosing a setup that aligns with how you function best.
And, if you're still confused about whether you're a solitary remote work person or a social office work personality, here's a handy checklist that you can refer to on your journey to figure it out. Remote work is a fitting environment for your personality if:
- You enjoy independent work
- You get overstimulated in chaotic environments
- You're self-motivated and good at structuring your day
- You don't rely on external pressure to stay on task
- You value flexibility and personal freedom
- Your best thinking happens in quiet, controlled environments
- Office politics and/or dynamics exhaust you
Making important decisions like choosing your work environment requires deep, analytical thinking. Take my science-inspired System 2 Thinking Test to know how sharp who system 2 skills are.
Remote work can, to an extent, protect you from dirty office practices like gaslighting. Take the science-backed Gaslighting at Work Questionnaire to know if you're being manipulated at work.