The New Corner Office: Connect beyond social media

Spend more time with real friends and colleagues

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Episode Transcript

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you know the big stuff, like making sure your kids
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Get it Right visits n h S a dot gov
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(01:07):
of your time with practical tools to help you feel
less busy and get more done. Listen to Before Breakfast
on the I Heart Radio app four wherever you get
your podcasts. Good morning, this is Laura. Welcome to the
New Corner Office, the podcast where we share strategies for

(01:28):
thriving in the new world of work where location and
hours are more flexible than in the past. Today's tip
is to connect beyond social media. We can use social
media to feel connected, and it can fill a real need,
but don't let it be the only way that you
fill that need even now. This episode comes from a

(01:52):
letter I got from a listener who had moved to
a new country following her spouse's job. She was working
from home, and while she noted that us had been great,
I do find myself going to social media a lot
is a way to connect to people since I don't
get to chat with anyone throughout my work day. She said,
work calls tended to be mostly about work. She found

(02:13):
herself slipping down the rabbit hole of social media, but
it was hard to avoid since Instagram and WhatsApp were
the quickest way to have the equivalent of a water
cooler conversation. Any tips on how I can fulfill this
need of mind to feel connected to people without turning
to social media, she asked. Humans are social creatures, and
so this listener is absolutely right that connection is a need.

(02:39):
Social media can quickly create a sense of connection. You
feel part of a group when you are all mocking
a funny story in the news or gushing over a
picture or arguing over a clickbait headline. It's a quick hit.
The problem, of course, is that much of our social
media consumption is pretty passive. You read an article and

(03:01):
read the comments, you respond to some famous person's post.
This person does not actually know you. This isn't real socializing.
Some real socializing is possible online. Certain niche communities can
be truly supportive, and I don't want to minimize that,
but I'd say that at least eighty percent of the

(03:21):
time that is not what is happening. So I thought
our listener needed to recognize that social media is what
I might call effortless connection. Real person interaction is more
effortful connection. It's worth it to put effort into the
real connection because it can be so much more meaningful.

(03:42):
So one idea for her is to proactively schedule in
virtual socializing with real friends. The upside of a pandemic
is now everyone is trying virtual get togethers. This is
good news for someone who's just moved to a new
country because she can plug in with friends and her
old home as if she'd never left. Yes, there might

(04:03):
be a time difference, but oh well. Aiming to get
together with people for virtual coffees once or twice a
week could go a long way toward making her feel
more connected. She might also be able to elevate one
of her colleagues into more of a friend. We've covered
the idea of making better work friends on this podcast recently.

(04:24):
If there's someone who she enjoys and meetings and who
seems friendly, it might be worth suggesting a virtual coffee
to get to know each other better. Theoretically, her company
should be encouraging this, given that people aren't working in
person together, but she can take the initiative regardless. Work
is far more fun when you're friendly with the people

(04:45):
you work with. She could also start a small professional
accountability group start getting together virtually regularly with four to
six people in her industry. These sessions have a professional purpose,
so people are more likely to take them seriously and
make time for them. But it's hard to chat with
people about your goals and aspirations time and time again

(05:09):
and not start to feel connected. This would be a
good way to make more connections in the real world.
Few people are going to give up social media cold turkey,
and I don't think there's any real reason too. When
you start spending more time connecting to real people. It
crowds out time for social media, and it also makes

(05:31):
social media feel less pressing. When you see something interesting,
you are more likely to text or call a friend
about it, rather than seeing what people you don't actually
know are commenting about it. It's a pretty similar process,
but it feels far more fulfilling, and that is worth
making time for. In the meantime. This is Laura, thanks

(05:56):
for listening, and here's the succeeding in the New Corner Office.
The New Corner Office is a production of I Heart Radio.
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