MAKE A VIDEO CALL LESS AWKWARD FANCY A DRINK?

With more of us WFH, the virtual hangout still has value. Try psychologist Robert Stewart’s top tips LEAVE THE ‘OFFICE’

Don’t call from your home desk. Change rooms, change seats, change your outfit – anything to switch you out of work mode.

Saying ‘Shall we have a virtual beer?’ can feel less pressured than scheduling an in-depth chat. The beer is symbolic – non-alcoholic or otherwise.

CALL UP MID-TASK

Often men meet with an objective: to do or watch something, rather than just talk. I know people who call friends while they’re cooking. It feels less intimate.

ASK FOR A TIMEOUT

We need to be transparent about our needs, to have the courage to say to our partner or flatmate, ‘I need time by myself to make a call.’ It’s hard, but helpful.