Remote or Relationships?
Most people are not cut out for fully remote working. It sounds alluring to be the master of your time and to run errands or go to the gym during the day when you have the shop or the gym to yourself. But even if you can land one of these coveted jobs, it probably won’t make you happier.
The problem is that if you don’t go to the office, you will have to work harder to establish and maintain relationships. The office provides you with a ready-made social circle. We are social animals, but most people are not good at building new relationships.
So instead of bemoaning being forced to go to the office, appreciate the relationships you have there.
Meet People in Real Life
Your happiness, health, and longevity are strongly influenced by the strength of your relationships. You need to meet people in real life – online connections have only a small fraction of the effect of meeting someone face to face.
If you live alone, it is even more important to take your social connections seriously. Over time, unless you continually work to renew your relationships, they will weaken. If you don’t have any close relationships, cultivate some. Join a sports club or volunteer in an organization. Doing something physical together with someone is an easy first step to building a relationship.
Did you meet with friends or family this week? If not, make plans to meet someone this weekend.
Meet People IRL
Humans need connection to other humans. Social isolation is strongly associated with depression and poor physical health. But we need real connections, not just online chat or video meetings.
Neuroscience shows that many more parts of the brain are engaged when you meet someone in real life. Only real-life encounters release oxytocin. On the other hand, video meetings and online messaging show increased cognitive load – you have to work harder to decode social cues. That’s why you can have a productive whole-day in-person workshop but feel exhausted after two one-hour video meetings.
Make an effort to meet people in real life. Online meetings don’t count.