Keep Connected – Keep Well

Experiencing isolation in a work context may be

• Geographic (distance from)
• Social (lack of contact with)
• Ideological (outcast from)

Geographic isolation though does not necessarily correlate with professional isolation. Professional isolation is about a lack of engagement with professional peers. People who are geographically isolated in their work but who are well connected with contacts and professional networks can remain strong in their professional identity and practice.

People experiencing professional isolation may experience a sense of disconnection from their professional identity and current practice. They may feel alone, as though they have no one to turn to in regard to challenging issues or to bounce off ideas.

The team at EASA Darwin support many people working in remote areas every year. This may be following a traumatic incident, due to interpersonal conflict, stress or burnout. Maintaining professional connections while doing this important and valuable work can support people to keep well during challenging times. It also provides a sounding board to share ideas and keep up to date with current practice.

To maintain professional connections while doing geographically isolated work we recommend:

• Joining a professional association and taking advantage of their offerings and support.
• Making space and time to connect with other professionals in the community, they may not be in the same sector but they are likely to share similar challenges and may have new and helpful ideas.
• Professional practice supervision – is may be accessed over the phone or through webinar platforms.
• A peer mentor relationship  – someone who can be called upon as a sounding board or for a gentle push in the right direction. Peer mentors work out together the best engagement strategy and it could be as simple as using instant messenger to connect regularly.
• Regular professional development – this could be through access to live webinars, Linkedin Learning, Ted Talks or pod casts. Learning can be enhanced by engaging in discussions with  mentors or through online professional conversation groups.

CORP Workplace Solutions offers public workshops delivered face to face and via webinars every year. These public workshops cover a range of topics such as Resilience, Mindfulness and Managing Stress, Understand and Respond to Burnout. Visit the CORP Public Workshops here to view the remaining topics for this year. To find out more about how CORP can support workplaces and employees, please contact us directly on the below.