Loneliness at work

Since the coronavirus pandemic, many of us have changed the way we work for good. Many organisations have moved away from full-time office working, allowing staff to come in just a couple of days a week, or maybe not at all. While this might be good news for some of us, others might find ourselves feeling more isolated from our colleagues, and missing out on a social interaction we used to enjoy.

Feeling lonely isn’t in itself a mental health problem, but the two are strongly linked. Having a mental health problem can increase your chance of feeling lonely. Feeling lonely can also have a negative impact on your mental health, especially if these feelings have lasted a long time. Some research suggests that loneliness is associated with an increased risk of certain mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, sleep problems and increased stress.

Marmalade Trust, a charity dedicated to helping those who are experiencing loneliness, has created this guide to help organisations to combat loneliness in the workplace. It offers tips such as helping staff to talk about loneliness in a non-judgmental way, helping colleagues to make connections, and building social time into your working day.

It also offers advice to employees who might be struggling with the impact of loneliness.