For some, interacting with other employees can at times seem like a tall order or an added task to an already busy workload. We have all seen the examples of our co-workers avoiding social contact, but here are a few:

1.      Someone enters the elevator and you immediately take out your phone to act busy and avoid small talk.

2.      The headphones are put on at your desk even though no music is actually playing. You simply want to be left alone.

3.      You take the extended back-way to the bathroom to avoid seeing other coworkers.

Do any of these apply to you, yet? One of them has assuredly applied to most of us at least once, and the occasional rough day is unavoidable, but it is the day-to-day interaction with coworkers that can make workdays all the better and more enjoyable.

Try putting the phone down and throwing out a simple “good morning” when someone you have seen plenty of times and recognize but don’t actually know, enters the elevator. It doesn’t have to start up a two-minute conversation about the weather, but acknowledging that another human being is sharing a space of about three square feet with you seems reasonable.

How about putting away those headphones bigger than the ears on Mickey Mouse and joining in one of the abundant conversations taking place around the office? No one is asking you to lead the charge, but being engaged and interested in the happenings around you can only improve your day.

And maybe, just maybe, taking the short route to the bathroom will result in you overhearing a conversation you actively want to participate in.

These may seem like overly obvious suggestions to give, and perhaps they are, but it’s important to ensure that social media isn’t the only social interaction that takes place at work.