In the wake of the pandemic, it’s clear that remote work is here to stay. It seems like every week there’s more news about workers preferring to work remotely or companies closing their physical office spaces.
This change is presenting employees and managers with new challenges in the workplace, including mental health concerns due to working in isolation.
Now more than ever, there is much to be gained from learning from the lived experiences of gig workers, many of whom have experienced and experimented with managing forms of radical agency, flexibility, and autonomy in environments where working in isolation was the norm long before it became a global reality.
We are a team of business professors from Indiana University, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, McMaster University, and the University of Michigan. Drawing on our own research on gig work and the work of other researchers who study the gig economy, we are able to identify the challenges of working in isolation and offer practical advice on how to address them.
The psychological costs of isolated work
Gig work has its benefits, such as being your own boss and setting your own schedule. But the isolation inherent to gig work can also take a toll on people mentally. Without easy access to relationships and organizational affiliation, gig workers often feel lonely and anxious.
In pilot research conducted for her doctoral dissertation, one of us, Brittany Lambert, found that this anxiety could rise to clinically significant levels. In the study, 47 gig workers in highly skilled professional occupations provided a total of 1,287 responses to daily surveys about their work experiences and mental health. Initial findings revealed that, on average, anxiety levels were elevated for more than half of the 10-day survey period.
Some anxiety is healthy and can even lead to increased productivity. But sustained high levels of anxiety can also be disruptive. Workers are more likely to burn out as they use up resources and energy dealing with both the chronic anxiety that comes from their working conditions and the daily demands of their jobs.
Additionally, research on the isolation of gig work shows that such working arrangements impact professional development: gig workers often lack access to the social resources that help traditional workers do their jobs and advance in their careers, such as feedback, new ideas, knowledge, and even emotional support.
While these obstacles may still be new to employees new to remote work, many gig workers have learned how to thrive in the face of these challenges. In fact, Lambert’s paper suggests that the autonomy that comes with this type of work (working for yourself and choosing when, where, and how you work) can be anxiety-inducing or anxiety-reducing (protective for mental health). So how can gig workers prepare to thrive in a work environment that is isolated from their coworkers? Research offers some answers.
Cultivate a community
One way to combat the isolation that comes with working alone is to be intentional about building a support system.
Recent research into the social lives of gig workers suggests that it’s possible to build vibrant social communities even if work doesn’t involve relationships. Gig workers must be proactive and resourceful in seeking out and cultivating these connections.
For example, gig work communities are increasingly popping up in different cities, facilitated by online forums, writers associations, and co-working spaces. These groups can give a sense of belonging to a larger community.
Another way gig workers creatively build relationships is by regularly working in the same public places, or “third places” like coffee shops. Research shows that gig workers do better when they actively seek out and nurture meaningful relationships that help them manage and weather difficult emotions, like anxiety, at work.
Breaking negative thought patterns
Rumination is a repetitive pattern of negative thinking in which people fixate on their problems or shortcomings, rather than recalling their accomplishments or considering potential solutions.
When isolated workers feel lonely and anxious, they’re more likely to ruminate. For example, the combination of gig work stressors, from financial instability to chronic isolation, can fuel ruminative thought patterns like, “I didn’t finish work for this client today, which means I’m not good at my job or suited to succeed at this type of work.” Breaking this cycle of unhelpful thinking can reduce anxiety and increase engagement at work.
There are many evidence-based tools and practices that can help people become aware of ruminative thoughts and address them in more helpful and effective ways, including mindfulness techniques, journaling and reflection, and various forms of psychotherapy.
Reflection practice
The next time you’re feeling down, anxious, or disoriented, try this simple exercise from Indiana University clinical psychologist Natasha Hansen to shift how you feel and think: Pause for a moment and ask yourself these four questions, write down your answers, and think about each one:
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What was I thinking right now?
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Is the idea true? What evidence supports it? Is there evidence against it?
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Is that thought helpful? Does it lead me in the direction of what is important to me?
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Are there other words you can say to yourself that are more true and more effective in moving you towards your goals?
Think again for a minute about what you wrote down in step 4. How does it make you feel? What does it motivate you to do compared to the thoughts you wrote down in step 1?
Doing these exercises regularly can help isolated gig workers take control of their mental health. Just like athletes develop muscle memory during training, the more workers of all kinds practice catching and shifting unhelpful thought patterns, the more effective thinking becomes second nature.
That said, we believe understanding where gig workers struggle and what they are doing to effectively address these challenges can help all of us as we try to navigate the path of the future of work, where “going to work” often means loneliness.
This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization providing facts and trusted analysis to help people make sense of a complex world. Author: Brittany Lambert Indiana UniversityBrianna Barker-Caza, University of North Carolina at GreensboroErin Reid, McMaster UniversitySusan Ashford, Sex work, part of the online gig economy, is a lifeline for marginalized workers
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Brittany Lambert receives funding from SIOP (Society of Industrial-Organizational Psychology).
Brianna Barker-Caza has received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and the Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychology to study gig workers.
Erin Reid is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and an Ontario Government Early Researcher Award.
Susan Ashford is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and the Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychology.
