Working from home has had a "huge impact" on many people's sleep and fatigue levels, according to mental health organisation which has conducted a survey on the impacts of the sudden change in working arrangements.
Mental Health First Aid Ireland surveyed nearly 1,200 workers between May and June.
Their research found that while many love the freedom of working from home, many workers' health has been suffering in a variety of ways.
Half the respondents said they were felling more fatigued than usual while four-in-ten said they were having trouble sleeping.
Workers' diet and exercise have also been affected.
Mental Health First Aid manager Donal Scanlan says a huge amount of people suddenly found themselves working at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, before any risk assessments could be done about the impact of the change.
He explained: “We’ve had huge outcomes in relation to physical and mental health.
“We’ve seen an increase in alcohol consumption of around 24.9%... we’ve seen 30% of people eating less healthily, and 40% [with] a worsening of the amount of exercise they’ve been taking.
“There’s a huge impact on sleep - around 40% of people have lost sleep due to the worry and concern around COVID. 50% of people are experiencing a huge amount of fatigue as a result of working from home.”
Mr Scanlon said his own charity is based out of St John of God’s Hospital in Dublin, and the hospital has seen a “huge increase” in acute admissions due to anxiety problems related to COVID-19.
He has urged employers to start preparing for what is "coming down the line" in relation to potential mental health issues.
