Breaking The Isolation When Working Remotely

I first published this article in French here.

The Reality of Isolation in Remote Work

Ah, remote work! That marvelous transition that promised us pajamas all day and zero commute time. Yet here we are, between Zoom calls and our living room doubling as an office, and an undesirable guest has made itself at home as well: isolation.

First off, let’s admit it, working from home is a double-edged sword. On one hand, the flexible schedule and the absence of commuting are attractive. On the other hand, loneliness can sneak up on us. Especially when you live alone. According to a recent study, 65% of remote workers feel a sense of isolation that affects their mental well-being.

Moreover, an employee’s responsibility for their productivity has increased with remote work. No one wants to give the impression of slacking off because they are working at home. So, we tend to do more. A lot more even. Newspapers reported a few months ago that since the pandemic:

The average workday has extended by 48 minutes while the workweek has increased by 3.3 hours.

However, this increased desire to demonstrate performance can lead remote workers to neglect their employer’s social activities or to communicate with colleagues only about ongoing projects. Over time, the employee ends up feeling lonely or valued only for their ability to produce results, whether intentionally or not.

Why Worry About It?

Isolation isn’t just about feeling lonely.

It can gradually impact motivation as well as the very reason you ended up there: performance. Indeed, you might lose the habit of seeking advice on your work or of sharing your feelings with a trusted colleague.

Thus, your sense of isolation sets in as you optimize your work time to increase productivity. And if the work environment is constantly changing or rapidly evolving, this isolation becomes a contributing factor to burnout.

The more you try to keep up,
the more you isolate yourself to “focus and deliver”.

Isolation can have profound repercussions on mental health and productivity.

Consider psychological safety, the feeling of being safe to take risks and be vulnerable at work. Essential, right? It is one of the reasons why remote workers are more likely to suffer from mental health issues: a study conducted in Portugal showed that employees working from home felt the need to be online and in contact with their colleagues more often, and that there was a correlation between depression, anxiety, and stress.

Which begs the question: how can you, as an employee, put safeguards in place to avoid falling into this cycle? Or, if you’re in it, how can you get out?

1- Structure Your Day

Create a routine: start time, breaks, and end of the day. This helps separate work from personal life, reducing the feeling of being constantly at work.

It’s not always easy to develop a routine when you work from home and have multiple distractions (emptying the dishwasher, clearing the table, etc.). Don’t hesitate to use technology to help: set alarms or reminders, block specific periods in your work calendar, etc.

However, a routine is pointless if you don’t follow it. When times are tough and it’s tempting to overflow, remind yourself: respecting my routine is respecting myself.

2- Incorporate Time for Socializing into Your Routine

A staple that has mostly disappeared with remote work: morning coffee with colleagues. Yet, this informal moment has incredible power: it strengthens our sense of belonging to our team or the company, it lets us know where our colleagues are at and how they feel, etc. It can even lead to a form of friendship. How to replicate this in remote work?

First, accept that, when communicating often through screens, this informal moment will not happen organically. It will take effort!

It’s like when you want to get back into exercise: you lay out your clothes for the next morning and place them so they’re in view as soon as you wake up. The same goes for morning coffee: send an invitation to a different colleague in advance (it’s important to respect everyone’s schedule and obligations), every other morning or every morning if you’re a very sociable person. You can also replace morning coffee with a coffee right after lunch, in the mid-afternoon, or even video dinners. And if your colleagues aren’t available, well, organize a video lunch with a close friend!

Furthermore, regularly communicating with your direct work colleagues is crucial to creating a secure work environment. This includes updates on projects, but also emotional check-ins, casual conversations, etc.

The goal here is to become proactive in your socialization efforts when you’re remote working; breaking the ice of the screen to restore more natural conversations over time. “Social interaction is key to maintaining our mental well-being,” remind psychologists specializing in workplace health.

3- Have a Dedicated Work Space

You’ve heard it often, but having a dedicated work space at home can make all the difference.

It allows you to “leave work” at the end of the day, even if it’s just by closing a door. It’s even more important, if you’re able to do so, to not work in areas associated with your personal life: in your bed, at the dining table or kitchen counter, from the sofa, etc. These places will become associated with work, and this insidiously contributes to the feeling of being constantly at work. On the contrary, you want to separate your work from your personal life and establish clear boundaries between the two. An analog method that works quite well if you can discipline yourself: place Post-its on objects you’re not supposed to touch during your work hours like the TV remote, for example.

This separation also applies to your digital workspace: your cellphone, your planner, your laptop.

• As much as possible, don’t merge your professional and personal calendars. It increases the temptation to optimize every “free” moment during the day. When you’re not lining up virtual meetings, you try to squeeze in a quick grocery run or start cooking dinner. In the end, those break moments you had at the office between meetings are absorbed by other activities, and you never really stop.
• Rebalance the use of your connected devices. That is, do not use your professional devices for personal purposes and do not use your personal devices for professional purposes. It’s another way to respect your routine.

Honestly, there’s something freeing about knowing that you only have to work during your working hours. It reduces the mental load of trying to squeeze productivity out of every moment of the day.

Less multitasking. More focus. More peace.

4- Joining Committees or Clubs at Work

Many employers create or encourage the formation of clubs by employees to foster social relationships, collaboration, and mutual aid. Whether it’s a social club, a sports club, or a book club, joining a group is a golden opportunity to broaden your horizons!

Indeed, groups/committees allow you to meet other employees with whom you do not interact within your job functions, people you would have crossed paths with in a corridor if you were in a physical office. Thus, through getting together, you can discuss topics other than work, share common interests, indulge your curiosity, etc.

These clubs also organize in-person events: karaoke, sports meetings, office parties, etc. Jump on these opportunities! These activities can take place in the office, if your employer has one, at another physical location, or even outdoors. Not only will you get out of the house, but you will also meet colleagues in person!

Although technology continues to evolve, interpersonal relationships are warmer and more satisfying with human contact.

If there’s no such group at your work, create one!

• Make an announcement on the virtual dashboard or through the internal newsletter to present the group’s goal;
• Accept a reasonable number of people (not too many to start so that it’s easier to break the ice among you), and;
• Organize the first meeting!

You could be the answer to your own isolation or that of a colleague.

And What About Employers?

Employers play a key role in combating isolation.

Indeed, the addition of the “concept of psychological integrity and psychosocial risks” to many occupational health and safety laws will make it employers’ duty “to protect the health and ensure the safety and psychological integrity of workers.” Isolation is one of the psychosocial risk factors.

By providing effective communication tools, encouraging transparency, and regularly organizing virtual or physical meetings, among other things, employers can contribute to a more connected and secure work environment.

But let’s be clear: beyond the employer, your psychological health at work is your responsibility.

It’s up to you to take the appropriate measures to care for it, without harming others.

In Conclusion

Breaking the isolation when working remotely is a challenge, indeed, but not insurmountable.

Like any habit, to change it, you need to replace it with another habit.

With the right strategies, you can not only improve your mental well-being but also strengthen your psychological safety and productivity. And remember, every little step counts.

So, what will yours be today?