I FaceTime my co-workers during lunch and after work hours to stay connected while working from home amid the coronavirus pandemic, and it reminds me how much I love my job

And once all this is over, I'll be back in the office with the Newbies. But for now, virtual time with my work friends is helping me get through the pandemic.

Even more than Fischer and Winck, I talk to Fox to feel connected to Insider.

Fox and I have solved problems and motivated each other through tough workdays since we started working together at Insider, so continuing to prioritize her friendship has been really important for me through this pandemic.

Fox and I connect when we're feeling especially drained or sad about the devastating impacts of the pandemic, and we remind each other that we're not alone in feeling this way during work. We also connect over simple pleasures we can still enjoy, like jokes, memes, and the various meals and desserts were making and eating.

According to an Insider article that rounds up experts' tips for dealing with anxiety and loneliness amid the pandemic, staying connected to people virtually can help manage sadness while stuck at home.

Since we stopped seeing one another in person, Fox, Fischer, Winck, and I haven't stopped checking in with each other during the week.

We FaceTime when our schedules allow during the times when we would normally hang out in the office — lunchtime and at the end of the workday.

We don't connect as consistently as we do in the office. But when we do talk, it brings me right back to the 8th floor of Liberty Plaza — our office in New York — and it reminds me how great my job can make me feel under normal circumstances. Company culture is one of the things I love most about Insider Inc.

It wasn't until about one week into remote work that I began to feel down about not seeing my favorite colleagues.

Fox called me the first Saturday after we started working remotely to tell me that her parents were picking her up from New York to take her to their home in Washington DC.

My heart sank in that moment, not just because she was leaving New York, but because that was the first moment that realized that the coronavirus would have lasting effects on everyone's lives.

I underestimated how much I value working independently next to my friends — sometimes giggling, sometimes silent — nearly every afternoon at the Insider office.

Although they don't change the work itself, having them around improved my mood on the days that seemed the hardest and the longest.

Even after we found our own feet at the company, the four of us continued to spend lunches together when schedules allowed and meet up outside of work regularly.

We all met in a conference room on July 8, 2020 — our first day at Insider Inc. All assigned to different teams, we were the last group of summer fellows to enter the company, so we decided to stick together.

We referred to ourselves as the Newbies, and we started spending time together in the office. We would let each other know when we were taking lunch and when we wanted to share workspaces.