Managing Loneliness on the Return-to-work Journey

Time off work due to illness or injury often means losing more than a job – it can mean losing daily structure, workplace banter, and the sense of belonging that comes from being part of a team. Forsaking that ‘water cooler’ small talk can really hit hard. This gap is where loneliness often takes hold.

Loneliness Awareness Week takes place 15th-21st June and was the world’s largest campaign to inspire conversations about loneliness and promote connection activities happening worldwide. It offered a chance to talk openly about something many people experience… but rarely say out loud.

This isn’t just anecdotal. Government data from the 2024/25 Community Life Survey found that adults who are out of work in a long-term capacity report feeling lonely more often or always, as opposed to other socio-economic groups. A UK-wide systematic review similarly found that studies are consistent in observing an association between being out of work and increased loneliness. Research using the Understanding Society longitudinal study went further, suggesting a potential bidirectional relationship between loneliness and unemployment – and, notably, found loneliness has an even greater effect on future unemployment than the more commonly studied reverse effect. In other words, loneliness doesn’t just follow job loss: it can make it harder to get back into work, which is exactly why early support – like what W2W offers – matters.

Loneliness isn’t just being alone. You can feel it during a large family gathering, or within the throes of a hectic work meeting. It often shows up as a heaviness, a sense of being unseen, or a sense of isolation that’s hard to name. For people on a vocational rehab journey, it can be especially sharp: the routine that once came automatically – such as commuting, colleagues, a reason to leave the house – has disappeared, and rebuilding it takes energy that can be hard to find while also managing health and recovery.

It’s worth saying clearly: loneliness is common during these transitions, it’s not a personal failing, and it doesn’t mean something is wrong with you.

You don’t need to solve loneliness all at once. It’s important to start small when addressing this substantial issue. So… what can you do?

• Name it. Simply acknowledging ‘I’m feeling lonely right now’ can take some of its power away.

• Keep a routine. Structure (even simple things like a regular wake time or a scheduled daily walk) can anchor you while you’re off work.

• Use your rehab plan as a connection point. Sessions with your vocational rehab coach counts as social contact and a regular fixture to look forward to.

• Try work-related social settings. Job clubs, training courses or volunteering placements offer structure and purpose alongside a low-pressure way become comfortable around people once again.

• Reach for small, low-pressure contact. A message to a former colleague, a walk where you say hello to a neighbour, or a community group – all these things can rebuild connection in a gradual capacity.

• Be patient with yourself. Rebuilding routine and connection after time out of work rarely happens overnight. That’s expected, not a setback.

Support Is Available

You don’t have to manage this alone. Your vocational rehab coach can help you set goals towards a return to work, training, or volunteering. This can ease you back into structure and contact with others at a pace that suits you. Beyond that, your GP, a counsellor, local community groups, and helplines such as the Samaritans (116 123, free, 24/7) are there too.

This Loneliness Awareness Week, the most important step is simply reaching out – to your VR coach, a former colleague or a friend.

Connection, like a return to work, often starts with one small step.