Residents in Ripon are searching for mental health advice more than any other location in Yorkshire and Humber whilst working from home.
New search engine analysis by experts at Choose Leisure - has revealed there has been a spike in searches for ‘work from home health’, ‘WFH mental health’, ‘WFH wellbeing’, ‘WFH wellbeing tips’ and 1,446 related keywords
In 2022, the terms were searched an average of 280 times a month, but this jumped to 990 in 2024 – that’s a 254% surge!
Royal Tunbridge Wells came second with a 144% increase, and Poole third with a 52% boost.
Lichfield and Blackpool rounded out the top five, with 45% and 39% respectively.
| Searches for Mental Health WFH and related keywords | |||
| Location | 2022 | 2024 | % Change |
| Ripon | 280 | 990 | 254% |
| Royal Tunbridge Wells | 540 | 1,320 | 144% |
| Poole | 1,370 | 2,070 | 52% |
| Lichfield | 1,070 | 1,560 | 45% |
| Blackpool | 1,500 | 2,080 | 39% |
Donna Bicker from Choose Leisure, who conducted the research said:
“It’s important for remote workers to understand they are not confined to four walls, their home office or any space you use for daily work.
“Working from home is designed to foster flexibility and improve work-life balance. With mental health concerns on the rise in the UK, finding an ideal workspace—whether at home, in a café, or even traveling in a motorhome—can be essential for improved mental well-being and productivity.”
Regionally, Ripon also saw the highest rise in Yorkshire and Humber.
Leeds placed second, seeing a 17% increase in people searching for mental health tips to sustain a healthy work-life balance from the comfort of their home.
Kingston upon Hull and Sheffield both came in third with an 8% uplift, whilst Bradford saw a small 2% rise in searches for work from home wellness advice.
| Searches for Mental Health WFH and related keywords | |||
| Location | 2022 | 2024 | % Change |
| Ripon | 280 | 990 | 254% |
| Leeds | 4,380 | 5,110 | 17% |
| Kingston-upon-Hull | 2,180 | 2,350 | 8% |
| Sheffield | 3,800 | 4,090 | 8% |
| Bradford | 3,340 | 3,390 | 2% |
Dr. Hana Patel, NHS GP and GP Medico-Legal Expert Witness commented: “Working remotely, or from home, can have lots of benefits but it can also be isolating and have a big impact on our mental health. Often, it might be difficult to manage boundaries when being out of the office environment, so here are some tips that can help maintain well-being:
Highlight of the day - “Each day, try to find one small thing you can take pride in or appreciate. You might find it helpful to create a list at the start of each day, and tick off everything you've done at the end.”
Lunch self-care - “Make sure you take at least a 30-minute lunch break and eat in a different room to where you work. If you can, try to get some fresh air and go for a short walk.”
Prep your tech - “Set up a 'work' and 'personal' login for your laptop, so you can differentiate between the two – you could even use different screensavers and backgrounds to make the difference clear.”
Meeting environment - “Distinguish between proper meetings and informal chats with the people you work with – if possible, designate different spaces for formal and informal conversations to help set boundaries.
Fresh air, fresh mind - “Go for a walk as soon as you finish – this can act as a fake 'commute', and make it feel like you're coming home after the working day has finished.”
Prioritise breaks - “It's easy to work longer hours and take fewer breaks when working remotely. Put a reminder in your diary for when you plan to finish working.”