In a world where we have connectivity at our fingertips, there is a loneliness epidemic on the loose.
Online networking hasn’t come through on its promise to bring us all together.
In fact, this loneliness epidemic is not only being felt at home, but it has also impacted the work environment. There is a vast amount of social isolation in the workplace nowadays.
Wrapping your mind around this phenomenon of isolation in the workplace might be a challenge. After all, most workplaces are typically filled with people. Yet, even in that crowded workspace, you might feel the brunt of this loneliness.
How so?
Together But Separate at Work
If you’re like most employees, you work on a team or alongside other people. You might even have to interact with these people on a daily basis. Actually, interacting may even be part of your job responsibilities.
So, naturally, you’d think that this would be the equivalent to making a genuine social connection, right?
Unfortunately, this type of obligated connection tends to fall flat. Offering nothing but facts and possibly a few superficial inquiries as to the nature of your day—it’s empty.
Furthermore, you might be surrounded by hundreds of co-workers, but they are typically doing the same thing you are. They’re focused on a computer screen or project right in front of them. The interactions you encounter equate to nothing more than a crack in your workplace masquerade.
Loneliness Can Actually Hurt Your Body
It’s well-known that loneliness makes you feel negative emotions. In fact, looking a step further, this loneliness epidemic is harming your body, too.
Throughout time, we have innately become social creatures. In short, you thrive when you feel a genuine connection to another person. When this feeling evades you, it can cause health issues.
That is why the loneliness epidemic frequently brings about chronic stress. Not only does this level of stress lead to higher levels of inflammation in your body, but it can damage your blood vessels, too. With an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and joint disease, loneliness is anything but harmless.
Loneliness Often Makes You a Worse Employee
With all the issues that isolation can cause in your body, it comes as no surprise that loneliness also affects the way your brain functions. The stress that it causes can weaken the part of your brain that helps to regulate your emotions, make decisions, think abstractly, and analyze situations.
Naturally, the loss of these valuable skills can cause you to execute your job poorly. The more the loneliness epidemic affects you, the lower your performance evaluation scores will be. It can even become difficult to concentrate on simple projects and accomplish daily work.
In turn, missing days of work may become more and more of an occurrence as well. Especially when you generally dislike the feeling of actually being at work.
The Overflow of Social Isolation Into Business
When employees are hurting—physically, mentally, and emotionally—and are not doing their best work, the company suffers. By creating a space for you to genuinely connect at work, it gives a business opportunity to thrive. And this important sense of connectivity boosts self-esteem and makes you more engaged in your duties.
You might even look forward to going to work. Plus, you’ll be more likely to produce higher quality work.
It’s evident that the loneliness epidemic can wreak havoc, even at your workplace. Though, while it often stems from isolation at your job, it can ultimately overflow into many other areas of your life.
If you’re feeling socially isolated at work or in any area of your life, please contact me. Together we can create a plan to increase genuine social connections throughout all facets of your life.
