Loneliness in the PR Profession

Our profession requires us to work with upward of thousands of people annually, influencing billions of people worldwide. 

We place thousands of phone calls, send tens of thousands of emails, texts and DMs, and host what feels like an infinite number of meetings and events, all to do what we love.

We put the “public” and “relations” in public relations, and yet many of us have felt lonely in doing so.

Recent data from Cigna states, “52% of U.S. workers report feeling lonely at work at least once a week,” and Buffer’s 2023 State of Remote Work reports, “Fully remote workers are 67% more likely to report frequent loneliness compared to in-office peers.”

It’s time for us, as a profession, to have an open dialogue and tackle this issue head-on. 

First, we must acknowledge a loneliness epidemic.

If you are feeling lonely, then please remember that you are not alone. As an agency executive turned work-from-home entrepreneur, it took me a few years to acclimate to a new environment. Whether you work 100% from home, in a hybrid environment or 100% in the office, life can be isolating.

How to address: Create rituals that emphasize connection and foster a sense of belonging. Make yourself pick up the phone and ask someone for their help. (People love to help!) Before taking your next work trip, schedule a coffee meeting or two for yourself with friends or former colleagues to have when you return. Challenge yourself to take part in one local community event every month.

If you are feeling lonely or isolated and believe it is impacting your mental health, then please seek the advice of a professional. 

Even if we don’t feel lonely, our colleagues and clients might.

Beyond its personal health impact, loneliness also has a tangible business impact. According to Harvard Business Review, “Employees who feel lonely are 2x more likely to miss work due to illness and 5x more likely to miss work due to stress.”

Even if you don’t feel lonely, ensure that you are aware of how your colleagues and internal and external clients are feeling. There’s a reason people say, “It’s lonely at the top.”

How to address: Listen for clues to sense others are seeking connection. Perhaps they are sharing more about their personal life. What might feel like “oversharing” could simply be someone aching to connect with someone else. As easy as it might be to want to drop off the call, taking a few extra minutes is a positive for building a relationship and can help someone feel better, as long as, of course, the conversation doesn’t violate social norms and policies. 

Get intentional with small group time.

Every time I speak at a conference, I witness the benefits of connection. Typically, I’m a stranger among friends who have known one another for years and decades, but from afar, I can see the smiles in the room among longtime friends in the industry. Conferences are an important time for attendees to connect and recharge before returning to their daily routines.

How to address: If you don’t see an event in your area that meets your needs, then create one! When I served as president of the PRSA Oregon Chapter, we hosted monthly no-host coffee meetings every first Saturday morning. We typically had between eight and 20 people join us for a couple of hours to connect and share. It was one of my favorite aspects of serving as president.

The good news is that, with more than 18,000 PRSA members, there is an immediate group of people available to connect with at your fingertips. The PRSA member directory is a great way to connect with like-minded individuals who share similar experiences and backgrounds.

Together, we can work to reduce isolation and loneliness, allowing our profession to continue thriving.