Working alone and feeling isolated are not the same thing.

Many of us genuinely enjoy the autonomy of remote work. But whether we're leading distributed teams, working independently, or contributing within them, there's a quieter risk worth noticing:

When we work alone, it can become surprisingly easy to carry everything alone.

Habits form. We work before or after the clock. Push through lunch. Problem-solve solo rather than ask for help. We may even wear our ability to handle it all as a badge of honor.

And connection can slowly become optional.

Our bodies, however, don't experience meaningful connection as optional. Social connection is associated with how we manage stress as well as our physical health. According to a 2022 American Heart Association scientific statement, social isolation and loneliness are associated with a 29% greater risk of heart disease and a 32% greater risk of stroke.

This isn't an argument against solitude. It's an invitation to notice when solitude has quietly become disconnection, or isolation.

Psychologist Kelly McGonigal offers a fascinating reframe in The Upside of Stress: "The impulse to connect is both a natural response to stress and a source of resilience."

In other words, when stress makes us want to call someone, talk something through, or simply be near another human, perhaps the message isn't I should handle this myself.

Perhaps it's:

Good. Follow that.

But connection isn't simply about contact. Quality matters. A calendar filled with Zoom meetings is unlikely to leave us feeling connected. Meaningful relationships are built through repeated moments of attention, reciprocity, trust, and gradually allowing ourselves to be known.

For leaders, this may require particular intention. Professional boundaries matter, but professionalism doesn't require emotional isolation. We can ask a colleague how they're really doing—and offer something of ourselves, too. We can share what excites us, what inspires us, or even where we're being stretched.

And if work isn't the right place for that connection, we can build it elsewhere: a trusted peer, networking group, friend, neighbor, or community.

Think of one person you could connect with today.

Send the message. Make the call. Ask the question.

And when they ask how you are doing, practice offering something more than "Good."

Share one small piece of yourself: something you're excited about, something that's challenging you, something that made you laugh, or even something fun you did over the weekend.

Then get curious about them, too.

Connection grows through these small moments of mutual revealing and receiving. And it doesn’t have to take up the whole day – even a few minutes will do. 

Working alone isn't necessarily the problem. Carrying stress alone is.

When our bodymind gives us the impulse to connect with someone, perhaps part of somatic sovereignty is learning to honor the signal and follow it toward relationships worthy of the reach.

If this resonated, consider it an invitation of its own. Stay connected for more reflections and practices to support your path toward aligned, embodied living.