February Focus: How Reducing Workplace Loneliness Can Improve Performance
Loneliness at work is increasingly recognised as a corporate wellbeing and performance issue, not a personal one. Even in busy offices, employees can feel disconnected, unseen, or isolated, particularly in hybrid, fast-paced, or high-pressure workplaces.
February offers a useful moment to reset. It provides an opportunity to prioritise connection, belonging, and employee engagement.
This matters because workplace loneliness has clear implications for productivity, collaboration, retention, and overall wellbeing.
Research from Gallup shows that around one in five employees globally report feeling lonely at work, with higher rates among younger workers and those in hybrid roles. Analysis published in Harvard Business Review and MIT Sloan Management Review links workplace loneliness to:
lower employee engagement
reduced collaboration
decreased job satisfaction
higher turnover and absenteeism
Effective corporate wellness strategies therefore focus on intentional connection, not one-off perks. The most successful initiatives are inclusive, repeatable, and embedded into the working day.
Below are practical, evidence-informed approaches organisations can take.
Creative workshops that encourage shared focus
Creative activity is a powerful driver of workplace connection. When employees make something together without pressure or performance metrics, hierarchy softens and conversation flows more naturally.
Life drawing with Frances Costelloe offers a strong example. Drawing side by side creates a shared point of focus, making interaction feel easy rather than forced. Participants consistently report feeling:
calmer and more present
more open in conversation
more connected to colleagues outside their usual teams
Beyond life drawing, creativity workshops such as painting, collage, or mixed-media sessions draw on principles commonly used in art-therapy-informed practices. These include expression, reflection, and non-verbal communication.
Evidence reviewed by the What Works Centre for Wellbeing highlights the role of arts and cultural participation in reducing loneliness and supporting social connection.
While these sessions are not therapy, they use creativity as a tool to support emotional regulation, inclusion, and team cohesion.
Human-centred wellness and informal conversation
Connection does not always come from structured discussion or team-building exercises. Often it emerges through quiet, human moments.
On-site massage and nail treatments create an environment where connection happens naturally. When employees sit down for a short treatment:
the pace of the day slows
informal conversation emerges organically
people feel seen and cared for
These experiences are particularly effective because they are:
inclusive and accessible
low pressure and non-performative
suitable for a wide range of employees
Research into workplace wellbeing consistently shows that shared experiences and informal interaction play a key role in reducing isolation and improving employee satisfaction, particularly in hybrid or desk-based roles.
Movement practices that build collective presence
Loneliness is not only emotional. It is often experienced physically, especially in sedentary, screen-heavy work environments.
Yoga and Pilates sessions delivered in the workplace support both physical wellbeing and social connection. Moving together, even quietly, fosters a sense of shared rhythm and collective presence.
Studies examining group movement and mind-body practices show benefits for:
stress reduction
emotional regulation
perceived social connection
overall workplace wellbeing
These practices are especially effective when they are accessible, non-competitive, and integrated into the working day.
Small, repeatable habits that normalise connection
Not every connection needs to be a large-scale initiative. In many workplaces, it is the regular, low-pressure moments that make the biggest difference.
Organisations can support connection by embedding:
short creative or movement breaks
rotating small-group workshops
intentional moments away from desks that feel purposeful
When connection becomes part of the rhythm of work rather than an occasional event, it strengthens workplace culture, engagement, and retention.
Closing thought
Reducing workplace loneliness does not require grand gestures. It requires intentional design. Creating environments where people can connect naturally, creatively, and without pressure.
This February, investing in connection is not just a wellbeing initiative. It is a practical, evidence-informed step towards more engaged, resilient, and human workplaces.