Workplace Loneliness: What to Do When It Becomes Too Much

Being alone in a home office or working in a physically-isolated position at a company can get lonely. While social interaction might not be something that you desire every moment of every day, being isolated at work can be problematic to your health, increasing the chances of a heart attack or stroke by a shocking 30 percent.

For your best health, here’s what to do when feeling overwhelmed by feelings of loneliness.

Start by Saying Hello

If you’re in an office where everyone keeps to themselves, it can sometimes feel like no one likes you. But look around, and that’s probably not the case; instead, it’s far more likely that no one says hello or makes small talk, no matter who it is.

To start being part of a positive change, say hello in the morning to those whom you pass in the hallway or within your department. While it might seem unnatural at first, it will get easier the more you do so. Plus, they’ll likely start to say hi too, and soon it becomes commonplace. That small interaction can help you feel less isolated.

Work from an Office Away from Home

While home-based offices are convenient as there’s no morning commute and you can set your hours, working at a hot desk can provide you with social opportunities and chances to network that might not otherwise be available to you.

It could be that a person you come across in the new environment is someone who can help you to solve a problem you’re having with a project, for example. Or, they might end up being your partner in a new organization one day if you get along well.

Join in Activities

Find out if your company offers any recreational activities, such as a sports team. If so, you could participate, and that’s a great way to get to know others who are in your office, but you haven’t spoken to yet.

Alternatively, if you work alone at home, why not see if there are community groups for entrepreneurs like yourself? Meeting monthly with others who have a similar job environment can stave off feelings of loneliness and provide a common conversational topic as you grow new friendships too.

Add Noise

Finally, if you work on your own, then why not add some background noise to make it feel less alone? There are many options here.

Perhaps you put on a TV show in the background. Alternatively, some music from YouTube. Choose songs with positive messages or fast tempos to energize your workspace.

Social Media Time

Schedule in some social media time too. Sending a message on Facebook or looking at what’s trending at Twitter helps you keep a connection to the outside world.

If you make plans through social media for later that same day, then you have something to look forward to later. And that can help motivate you during the day.

Dealing with Workplace Loneliness

Rather than thinking that you must sit in silence, make the job more interactive by reaching out to coworkers with a “hello” or joining in social activities. If you don’t have coworkers, then get on social media now and then or add background noise. Loneliness doesn’t have to be a constant in your life.

Looking After Your Employee's Health Is A Daily Battle

Pexels

No self-respecting business owner should ever pay less than the most possible attention to the wellbeing of their employees. Of course, as a business leader with many responsibilities to take care of, this can bring up strange images of walking around the office checking anyone isn’t too stressed out, worried, or has any personal difficulty in their lives. This would not be feasible, and likely not effective.

The best thing any business owner can do is understand that this is a daily battle, often helped with the systems put in place to prevent and cure issues when or if they occur. For example, a human resources department, well invested in, can help air the grievances of your staff, and allow them to manage their personal difficulties alongside their work. This truly matters, and in some respects is perhaps one of the most important elements of your departmental management.

If you’re even reading this article, it shows that you care about your employees, or perhaps the future people you may hire. So let us help you to that end:

Consider Office Safety

It’s very easy to view the smaller health risks and consider them over-the-top and worrying. For example, a rucksack in the walkway might signify a trip hazard, and should be removed as soon as possible. That’s normal. Many of these issues will occur like this, and so long as you and your team keep an eye on them, they can often become resolved very quickly.

Long-term rules, such as no open-top beverages near the computing equipment, can be a worthwhile policy to keep. But office safety hardly stops there. It might be that an uneven or cracked floor could lead to some nasty falls and injuries, meaning that using excellent flooring companies to gain a solid, even, level flooring is an essential investment from time to time.

Perhaps a door handle is known for coming off in the hands of your employees, and must be held in just the right way to gain access. Yet the trouble is, this is a fire door, which needs to be moved through quickly in the case of an emergency. Looking around and implementing changes like these can help you avoid any long-term statistical increase in injuries, which are just as essential to root out quickly.

Mental Health Awareness

The physical health of your staff is important, but mental health issues are often much harder to see or identify. This is why a mental health awareness day, or perhaps routine training can help your team identify issues if they occur, or at least have a safe and confidential outlet to talk about their troubles. This might also give you pause when needing to force overtime to complete an order, or coming down too harshly on someone who tried their best yet failed. Your team member aren’t wrapped in cotton wool, of course, but it’s important to ensure that everyone is on the same page regarding mental health, and all feel that they can approach you about this if needed.

A Favorable Working Environment

A solid lunch break, a relaxing and ventilated office environment, anti-bacterial hand gel stations, and a separate room to relax and eat can all lead to a favorable working environment, both in hygiene and working comfort. This can prevent your staff from burning out.

With these tips, you are certain to care for your employee’s health correctly.

This article contains affiliate links.