Loneliness hacks for remote workers

How it works: Create your own office atmosphere by reserving a room at Seattle Public Libraries or the King County Library System (or a co-working facility or coffee shop) and invite other remote colleagues and friends to join. 

• Make it a weekly event that you can look forward to. 
• Can't take a whole day? Meet for a working lunch. Even without your laptops, spitballing ideas can be invigorating.
• Try turning on the camera and forcing yourself to be chatty in Zoom meetings. 

Plus: Say "yes" to coworkers' suggestions to meet for a happy hour. 

Lean into your social life by joining book clubs, taking courses, swapping skills, hosting a game or storytelling night or by signing up for art or music therapy.

• Offer to babysit or pet sit for a friend or acquaintance. 

What they're saying: Sebastian Tong, a family physician with UW Medicine who studies loneliness, told Axios last month that people have to work harder to overcome social inertia when their interactions are mostly online. 

• "Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone might not yield immediate results, but persistence can lead to meaningful connections over time."

The intrigue: Feelings of loneliness may also be at least partially tied to weather, which is why many of us in Seattle might start feeling a little more isolated in the cold slog of fall and winter.