Why are colleagues important and how do they affect our lives?

We spend most of our lives working; we leave early in the morning and go to our jobs or turn on the computer and start working from home. We spend more than half a day and perhaps more than half of our lives with our work, and therefore with our colleagues… It is a fact that we see our colleagues at work more than our family members… Therefore, our colleagues have a significant influence not only on our working life, but also on our general health and life in general. Imagine; How are your relationships with colleagues at work? Is your best friend there? Or is there someone you get on very well with/don’t get along with at all? Now visualize how the names that come to your mind affect your business life, mood and life…

According to surveys, only 20% of working adults in the US say their best friend is at work. What to do with the remaining 80%? According to Stanford University professor Catherine Heaney, even when our best friend isn’t at work, making the most of our friendships effectively improves employee well-being. On Belonging: Finding Connection in an Age of Isolation According to Kim Samuel, author of her book, while we don’t have to make lifelong friendships at work, it’s important to make good friends at work so that we feel like we’re part of a community and feel like we’re in the right place.

Research on the subject shows that good friendships at work increase job satisfaction and productivity, and improve overall health. According to studies conducted in countries such as Spain, Japan and Germany, good and happy colleagues reduce the risk of burnout, improve mood and reduce the likelihood of traumatic experiences. In fact, good friendships at work also increase life expectancy.

On the other hand, studies also show the negative impact of loneliness on our health. Feelings of loneliness, which are closely associated with many negative conditions such as depression, anxiety, substance use, dementia, self-harm, and cardiovascular health problems, can also lead to more unhappiness and reduced performance at work.

For all these reasons, it’s important to have a nice coffee at the start of the day, and sometimes make good friends at work, ask for support or hear constructive criticism in between work. More energy, less stress, more success and most importantly, a happier and healthier work environment!

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Tips for creating strong friendships at work

So what can we do to strengthen our friendships at work and thereby improve our overall health and mood? Here are the steps you can start taking right now…

Strengthen your communication skills: It is an undeniable fact that strong communication is the foundation of any strong relationship. You can strengthen the bond between you by improving your communication skills and interacting with colleagues more often. When you learn to use open and sincere language, focus on constructive criticism, and don’t take things personally, you’ll find that things go a lot better.

Make small gestures: Won’t a good coffee in the middle of the day or a little note you see on your morning desk make you happy? Let’s face it, we all like small gestures. Well then why don’t you start? Sometimes a little compliment, sometimes a chocolate treat can be the start of a better friendship…

Empathize and care to help: Show empathy to understand and support the emotional needs of your colleagues. Listen to them when they are going through difficult times and be as understanding as possible. Make collaboration a habit; know how to ask for help when you need it and respond to calls for help.

Building good friendships at work can take some time, but by following these tips, you can build a strong and supportive social network. However, individual efforts alone may not be enough to create a positive workplace environment. Employers need to do something about it too! If you’re wondering what you can do as an employer and how to support strong colleagues while boosting productivity in your workplace, here are some helpful ideas:

• If you have a telecommuting system in place, you can schedule weekly or monthly events where all employees can meet face to face,
• If you are physically unable to get all of your employees together, you can set up regular online meetings (but make sure these meetings are scheduled just for socializing so they don’t turn into traditional business meetings)
• For example, in your workplace, you might use Monday morning or Friday afternoon to get together for coffee, dinner, dessert, orhappy hour“You can plan your time
• You can attach great importance to corporate trainings on personal development, organize events where training will be provided on various topics such as communication skills, stress management and efficient use of time,
• You can get support from corporate wellness services to increase group interaction, and you can host play activities that encourage you and your employees to work better together.

Remember, this is a team effort. It is necessary that everyone make efforts and work first for their own health, and then for the benefit of all, and that things go well.

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