Saying good morning to a coworker you don't know is perfectly normal, but sending a private message with the same greeting can be perceived as weird or even creepy. Reaching out to coworkers without context can make it hard to connect and form friendships, especially in remote work settings. To overcome this, it's essential to explain why you're reaching out, offer help when needed, respond privately to comments made in public channels, be vulnerable by sharing something about yourself, don't take delays personally, respect the back-and-forth of conversations, send one message and wait for a response, set your own status to avoid unwanted interactions, and recognize that small interactions matter. By adopting these strategies, you can build meaningful connections with coworkers and combat loneliness in remote work environments.