Mental Health Awareness week 2022 starts on the 9th of May, and this year’s theme is loneliness. While it’s normal to feel lonely from time to time, research has shown when it lasts for some time it can have a negative impact on health and wellbeing. Long-term loneliness is even associated with a higher risk of certain mental health conditions, including, anxiety, depression and increased stress.
While it might feel difficult to talk about, there are things you can do to help support yourself and your colleagues. We’ve spoken to Marmalade Trust, a charity dedicated to raising awareness of loneliness and helping people make new friendships, to find out more about it, and put together some resources to help you and your colleagues combat loneliness in the workplace.
“Loneliness is a natural human emotion that most of us will experience at some point in our lives,” says Amy Perrin, Founder and CEO of Marmalade Trust. “It can affect our confidence, both how we feel about ourselves and our desire to reach out and engage with others.”
She explains that the pandemic has changed the way many of us work, and that has left some people feeling more isolated. “Many more of us are working from home part time and some of us are not returning to the work environment in the same way at all,” she says. “For some people, particularly those living alone, working from home can increase feelings of loneliness as you are less likely to be meeting colleagues. We’ve spoken to people who have said, ‘No one makes me a cuppa and asks me how my weekend is anymore.'” Some people are just missing those ‘water-cooler moments’ – the causal chatter of a friendly workplace.
It might feel awkward taking the first steps towards talking about loneliness, but Amy is confident you can make a big difference. “Why not add loneliness to the agenda of a team meeting?” she suggests. “Or, bring it up in 1 to 1 sessions with staff. If a colleague is feeling lonely, ask them what would help to make them feel more connected at work. This might be change in work times or days, coming into the office more, having more regular meetings, having smaller remote team meetings or planning in some face to face social time.”
If you find yourself feeling the effects of loneliness, it can be a good idea to take some time to consider what would help you. “First of all, think about your social connections at work,” Amy says. “Are they sufficient? Meaningful? Are they enough? Are too many on digital platforms like Zoom and Teams and not enough face to face? Think about what you want, and reach out to your employee to discuss what would help.”
Many of us simply don’t have colleagues to talk to at work because we’re the only employee! But Amy says there are still steps you can take to feel more connected in your workplace. “Think about your day, what kind of contact are you having?” she suggests. “Can you mix it up with some face to face meetings or telephone calls rather than Zoom?” You could always think about a change of scenery, getting outside and enjoying some fresh air, if you can. “Break the day up, to make sure you are connecting with people in different ways,” Amy adds. “Some people find working odd days in a shared space can be beneficial and others have talked about having mentoring groups that meet for a walk once a week. Think about what works for you – we are all different!”
Check out these resources for more tips on combating loneliness in your workplace.
Feeling lonely isn't in itself a mental health problem, but the two are strongly linked. Marmalade Trust, a charity dedicated to helping those who are experiencing loneliness, has created this guide to help you to combat loneliness in the workplace.
This guide from Our NHS People explains some of the challenges of working from home, and explores how you can manage these, including information on staying connected. While the guide was originally written for NHS staff, it contains information that could be useful for anyone experiencing home working.
Tackling workplace loneliness and supporting employees to build social connections can create a more productive and resilient team. This web page covers some key facts about loneliness at work and offers advice on helping staff build connections.
Isolation and leaving people out of social events can be a sign of workplace bullying. This guide from the CIPD explores your legal responsibilities as an employer if someone makes an accusation of bullying, and will help you understand your next steps.
Working as a freelancer can be an isolating experience. This Slack group, managed by Leapers, can help connect you with other people in a similar situation, allowing you to connect, share experiences, and learn from each other.
This podcast from CIPD explores the difficulties working remotely can cause, and discusses ways you can ensure you’re still taking good care of your employees’ wellbeing. It is available both as a 30-minute long recording and as a transcript if you’d prefer to read the discussion.
The Campaign to End Loneliness was created to provide support for those experiencing feelings of loneliness and to campaign on their behalf. You'll find training both for individuals and for teams, as well as free advice on managing your own loneliness.
Sometimes, you just need someone who will listen to you without judgement. If you need to speak to someone about a difficulty you're experiencing, the trained volunteers at Samaritans are there for you. The helpline is available 24 hours a day,
This page from Mind explores what loneliness is, and offers some tips and advice on how to manage these feelings. It includes some ideas on meeting new people, but also focuses on being comfortable in your own company.
Randomised coffee trials are the simple idea of connecting pairs of people in an organisation at random, and giving them time to talk. This can help build relationships across your organisation, and give people a chance to get to know each other in a relaxed environment.
