Socializing at Work: Regenerative and Refreshing

It can be quite easy to be caught in the monotony of office work. I would sometimes find myself rhythmically going through my work, uninterrupted until eventually slowing down. This would happen during days when my coworkers were in meetings or out of the office. The purpose of being hired is to produce for the employer, but constant production without social interaction can be paralyzing. I found that taking healthy intermittent breaks to chat with coworkers was extremely refreshing and added regenerative quality to my work ethic. In my opinion, working nonstop with limited social interaction is certainly not the way to keep people in the office happy, mentally well, and productive.

A large contrast I found between the European and American office environments was in how time is allocated for being social. In the states I would find myself rushing through lunch to reach objectives and be productive. How productive can one be if deprived of social interactions though? The Wharton School of business conducted a study in 2011 and concluded that workers that feel “lonely” at work are significantly less productive than those in similar roles that are social. I was lucky to be in an environment with many coworkers that seemed to be genuinely interested in my well-being and personal life. I would find myself taking breaks from monotonous accounting exercises, having a chat with the office PA, and then returning feeling much more excited about my tasks.

The long European lunch. Typically an hour to an hour and a half, this long period of food and conversation was quite foreign to me. In the United States I would feel that if I took longer than thirty to forty minutes for lunch then my coworkers may view me as lazy and unwilling to jump back into my tasks and projects. In Brussels, I felt judged by my coworkers for leaving the lunch table too early and getting back to work. It took me a solid three weeks to become accustomed to this custom of relaxing and taking ones time with lunch. To be fair, I can be fairly introverted and forming relationships with adult European economists can be a daunting task for a young American college student. This anxiety would cause me to return to my work as a respite from unwanted social situations. However, after I came to get to know more of my coworkers, I learned to use this prolonged lunch as a chance to give myself a chance to recharge socially.

(A lunch spot I enjoyed frequenting with my coworkers)

I believe that a social office is a productive office. Getting to know your coworkers builds a sense of unity and community, and this sense of trust allows for coworkers to feel more comfortable with working towards common goals. I do not think that having lunch for an hour and a half is necessary to achieve this, but I do think that a more balanced work environment will prevent periods of inactivity when workers are by themselves. I look forward to bringing my skills of developing new relationships and socializing to boost productivity to future careers in the united states.