The role of social connections at work

The importance of forming strong social connections at work is often overlooked. Yet, these connections are important for maintaining both mental and emotional wellbeing. Building strong relationships with colleagues can lead to a more fulfilling and productive work life. 

1. A boost to mental health

Social connections are a cornerstone of mental health. Regular interaction with colleagues can significantly reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness, which are common in remote and hybrid work settings.

How social connections can boost mental health:

• Support system: having trusted colleagues to turn to during challenging times provides emotional support and reassurance.
• Stress reduction: engaging in casual conversations and shared activities can lower stress levels and create a more relaxed work environment.
• Increased happiness: positive interactions and a sense of belonging can enhance overall job satisfaction and happiness.

2. Increased job aatisfaction

Feeling connected to co-workers can lead to higher job satisfaction. When we feel valued and supported, we are more likely to enjoy our work and stay committed to our role.

Key benefits include:

• Sense of belonging: social connections help form a sense of belonging, making employees feel more integrated and valued within the organisation.
• Motivation: strong relationships can increase motivation and engagement, driving employees to perform better and strive for excellence.
• Job fulfilment: collaborating with colleagues and contributing to a positive work culture can lead to a greater sense of fulfilment.

3. Improved team collaboration

Effective teamwork relies heavily on strong social connections. When team members trust and understand each other, collaboration becomes smoother and more efficient.

Benefits include:

• Enhanced communication: open lines of communication are vital for successful collaboration. Social connections facilitate honest and transparent communication.
• Problem-solving: diverse perspectives and ideas often emerge from strong social networks, leading to innovative solutions and better decision making.
• Conflict resolution: strong social bonds make it easier to address and resolve conflicts constructively, maintaining a harmonious work environment.

4. A more positive work culture

A positive work culture is built on the foundation of strong social connections. When employees feel connected, the overall work atmosphere becomes more vibrant and supportive.

This can lead to:

• Inclusivity: social connections promote a sense of inclusivity and diversity, making all employees feel welcome and appreciated.
• Employee retention: a supportive and positive work culture can significantly reduce employee turnover, saving organisations time and resources.
• Organisational loyalty: employees who feel connected and valued are more likely to remain loyal to the organisation, contributing to its long-term success

5. Supporting professional growth

Social connections can also play a crucial role in professional development. Networking with colleagues can open doors to new opportunities and insights.

Here’s how:

• Mentorship and guidance: Building relationships with experienced colleagues can provide valuable mentorship and career guidance.
• Skill development: collaborative projects and peer learning opportunities can enhance skills and knowledge.
• Career advancement: social connections can lead to new career opportunities, promotions and professional recognition.

Tips for forming social connections at work

Building and maintaining social connections at work can require a certain amount of effort. Here are some practical tips to help build these connections: 

Regular check-ins

Schedule regular check-ins with team members to discuss work progress and personal wellbeing.

Team building activities

Organise team-building activities, both virtual and in-person, to strengthen bonds and improve collaboration.

Celebrate milestones

Acknowledge and celebrate personal and professional milestones, such as birthdays, work anniversaries and project completions.

Open communication

Encourage open and honest communication, where employees feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and concerns.

Inclusive practices

Promote inclusivity by creating a welcoming environment for all employees, regardless of their background or role.

Flexible social spaces

Provide flexible spaces, both physical and virtual, where employees can interact informally and build relationships.

The benefits of volunteering on your mental wellbeing

Whether you’re a busy professional with a hectic lifestyle or retired with plenty of time on your hands, there are lots of opportunities for volunteer work that you can fit into your schedule.

Whatever your reasons are for wanting to volunteer, you’ll find that volunteering your time can have a positive impact on your mental wellbeing.

Social contact

Working alongside other like-minded volunteers is a great way to make new connections and improve your social skills. Having this kind of support network around us can give us a sense of belonging, thus creating more positive thoughts about ourselves.

Combats stress and anxiety

As well as enjoying social contact, helping others can be a huge mood booster. Volunteer work helps you forget many of your own personal worries and, instead, encourages you to focus your attention on someone else’s needs. You’ll find lots of outdoor volunteer work too, which can release endorphins and provide you with some much-needed vitamin D.

Helps fight depression

When we’re suffering from depression, we tend to feel worthless and self-critical as well as lethargic. By surrounding ourselves with other volunteers, we increase our social network, and this can prevent feelings of loneliness. Helping others gives us a purpose in life and it can increase our self-esteem and self-worth.

Giving makes us happy

When we put others’ needs before our own without expecting anything in return, it gives us a great sense of achievement and makes us feel good about ourselves. For many people, the act of giving is far more rewarding and brings us more happiness than receiving.

Physical wellbeing

Studies have shown that taking care of our physical wellbeing can have a knock-on effect on our mental wellbeing. A lot of volunteer work involves activities that keep us exercising without us possibly realising it. As well as lowering blood pressure, exercise is one of the best ways to keep us mentally in shape and it’s great for boosting mood too.

Working with animals

Studies have shown that animals can play a part in improving mental wellbeing. The mere act of stroking or playing with an animal can help us to feel relaxed and calm. If you’re an animal lover but are unable to keep a pet at home, then voluntary work with animals could be the perfect choice for you.

If you would like to find local volunteer work, the Do-it Trust has lots of information and advice as to where to find suitable opportunities, from first aid and fundraising to support work.

The life and soul of the party! Successful socialising with work colleagues

When it comes to relationships, friendships with work colleagues are unique. They’re often the people that we spend most of our time with, yet the people we know least about. Building social relationships with people we work with takes time.

At work there are deadlines, objectives and routines. When out with friends we are ‘off the clock’, relaxed and comfortable. Socialising with work colleagues lies somewhere in between. This makes it hard to build up meaningful relationships, especially when you’ve just started a new job or changed roles.

Successful team work comes through having good relationships with our colleagues, so any time we spend socialising with co-workers outside of work has got to be good for business. At this time of year, there will usually be lots of opportunity to meet colleagues outside of your usual working day so we’ve come up with some tips to help you develop enjoyable, productive relationships with your work colleagues.

Show up

The right mindset can provide much-needed balance, so although office social gatherings might be daunting, think of them as an important part of how your team operates and worthy of your time. They’re part and parcel of your job, so make a deal with yourself to be there and make the most of the opportunity from a work perspective. Plan ahead, as you would a work meeting. Find out who else will be there, what people will be wearing and how long you will be expected to stay. Uncertainty causes unease, so knowing all of this information up front will help you approach the event with a positive mindset.

Look around – and listen

If it helps, give yourself a work related task to do while at the event. Take on the role as mentor, looking out for colleagues who are alone and introducing them to others. If there is a colleague you’re not seeing eye to eye with at work, go out of your way to hold out an olive branch and build bridges. Social settings are a great environment to practise forgiveness. Take the time to really listen to your colleagues and team members – it’s OK to talk about work stuff, indeed it’s a good way to unwind or debrief after a stressful day, but be prepared to jump in with more social topics to ease the mood when you can. Make mental notes of any common ground you uncover during your conversations, they’ll help you build stronger relationships once you’re all back at work.

Be a man (or woman) with a plan

Treat any social gathering as you would any other work event. Identify what you want to achieve and outline a game plan beforehand. If you are target driven, set yourself some simple goals – i.e. the number of people you’ll speak to; the amount of time you’re willing to spend there before moving on; seeking out people from departments that you have little opportunity to mix with before now, etc. Take the opportunity to speak to your manager and other superiors in an informal setting and find out more about what makes them tick outside of work, this will help you once you’re back in the office. It may also help to have an exit plan ready and inform your colleagues beforehand so it doesn’t look odd if you decide to leave early. Remember, the purpose of the gathering is to ultimately build better working relationships.

Don’t fear silence – be prepared instead

Preparation is key. As with any social occasion, there is a likelihood that conversation will dry up as topics come to a natural conclusion. If you find socialising difficult and small talk doesn’t happen naturally for you, don’t be afraid to pre-plan some safe topics of conversation that you can turn to during the event. There’s a great article about the Imposter Syndrome  that talks about the power of perspective. It’s about realising and appreciating that everyone else in the room is in the same boat. This levels the playing field and makes it much easier for us to play an active role in networking opportunities.

Relax and try to go with the flow

If you approach the event with an open mind and positive outlook, you’ll find that what you once feared can actually become an enriching experience that adds real value to the relationships you have with your work colleagues. Visualise yourself at the event – talking to everyone, holding conversations together and actively participating in what’s going on. Picture yourself laughing, smiling, enjoying the interaction. Accept that this is part of what is expected of you in your role.


Remember, ‘tis the season to be jolly; a time when expectations (and opportunities) for out of work socialising are higher than any other time in the year. With a bit of forward planning and preparation you’ll be building better working relationships that will make 2017 a positive and productive year.