Warning: the free donuts at my office are why my 1-on-1 got weird
Grabbed two donuts at the Friday standup like always, and my boss pulled me aside to ask if I was okay since I stopped going to lunch with the team. Turns out the donut run was the only facetime anyone got with me all week, so now I want to hear how other people handle the 'visible at your desk vs actually doing work' thing.
Block out 15 minutes on your calendar every day for a quick walk around the office, even if it feels fake at first. Grab coffee in the break room instead of at your desk so people actually see your face. I started doing a standing 10am chat with whoever's around and it fixed the same problem for me. The trick is making it a habit so it doesn't eat into your real work time. Your boss probably just wants to know you're not checked out, so a little face time goes a long way.