I recently came across a Wall Street Journal article called “The Loneliness of the American Worker,” which included some pretty bleak stats about our modern work lives. Take a look:
- More than 40% of fully remote workers polled in a 2023 survey of working parents by Bright Horizons said they go days without leaving the house.
- Those who work in-office spend nearly a quarter of their time in virtual meetings, while face-to-face meetings account for only 8% of their time, according to data from real-estate company Cushman & Wakefield.
- Americans have tripled the time spent in meetings since 2020, data from Microsoft’s suite of business software show—leaving less time for the casual interactions that social scientists say foster happiness at work.
- Among 101,000 people using the professional coaching platform BetterUp since 2019, 68% said they knew their co-workers on a personal level, down from 79% five years ago.
- The number of U.S. adults who call themselves lonely has climbed to 58% from 46% in 2018, according to a recent Cigna poll of 10,000 Americans.
Which is to say—very little about work is working.
People—parents especially—feel stuck at home and lonely, and many people are spending their work day in back-to-back Zoom meetings, even if they’re at the office!
So what can help?
Rituals!
Even and especially on the days you are remote.
If you’re fully remote, the day can seem like an endless slog of staring at your screen, checking emails, and trying not to multitask during virtual meetings. One solution is to create some rituals, especially around breaks.
Here are some ideas:
– Cowork with other remote friends: One way to combat the loneliness and isolation of working from home all the time is to do it with friends or colleagues. Post up at a coffee shop with them or take turns hosting at your home “office” to bring some camaraderie to the day.
– Create a ritual to mark the beginning and end of your work day (or else it can feel like it never ends): One of my remote colleagues symbolically begins her work day by opening the curtains in her office and then ends it day by closing them. But it could also be sitting down at your desk with a fresh cup of coffee in the morning and breathing in the aromas, or lighting a candle at the end of the day to mark it done. Do something meaningful to you. And when work is done, sign off and go be with your loved ones!
– Practice 20x20x20: One woman shared with me that every 20 minutes, she takes a 20 second break, 20 feet from her computer.
– Get outside: Now that the days are getting warmer, when you take a break, try to get some good ol’ vitamin D. It’ll do wonders for your mood. And btw, according to Tony Schwartz at The Energy Project, you should be taking a break every 90 minutes. So prioritize taking them!
– Take a walking meeting: If your day is truly full of back-to-back meetings with no time in between, first—work on that. Second, choose some meetings that don’t require a shared screen where both/all parties can do a walking meeting. Even better if you can link up in person for a walk and talk. Make it a regular ritual.
Here’s the thing, the hybrid workplace requires that we be more intentional. And rituals are magic.
Do you have rituals at work? I’d love to hear about them.
6/5/24
