TURN COLLEAGUES INTO GOOD FRIENDS

A shocking 42 per cent of us don’t have a single friend at the office. Emma says we need to be braver to build new bonds

Work is a huge part W of life, so when you enjoy it your whole world feels more positive. One key way to achieve this is feeling that at least one or two of your colleagues are genuine mates, but as 42 per cent of working adults admit they have no real friends at work, we need to change our habits.

One potential culprit is your phone. On breaks, during lunch hours and even when sitting at your desk, chances are you will be checking social media or catching up on celeb gossip. This may seem harmless, but it makes you appear unavailable, stopping colleagues from popping over for a chat. Put your phone away and make a conscious effort to talk to the people around you. If you need a topic, rather than resorting to work chat, ask if they have been watching a popular show. Even if they haven’t, you can tell them why they should. This interaction is simple but effective at building bonds.

Each morning, grab a pen and paper and ask your workmates how they take their tea and you’ll stand out as being helpful. At lunchtimes, suggest popping to the local pub, café or park – this will quickly reveal who is looking for friends as opposed to colleagues. Great friendships take effort, so be brave and start conversations, and talk about things outside of office gossip to stop the friendship being surface level. Open up a bit when you feel you can trust somebody, find common interests and ask questions. You aren’t guaranteed a new BFF, but you will build genuine bonds.