Working from home can be a lonely place. It’s bad enough that lockdown restrictions have prevented us all from seeing our friends and family, but the amount of office’s turning to remote working, for the time being, has got rid of the last bit of social contact we had. To ensure you don’t have to run to your local Asda just to remember what the human voice sounds like, here are the best ways to prevent loneliness when you work from home.
Work at a Coffee Shop
One of the best things you can do for yourself is to get out of the house. Being trapped inside the same four walls every day will only exacerbate your loneliness. Providing restrictions have been lifted in your area, head to a local cafe or coffee shop to work. You’ll be surprised at just how exciting it can feel to be surrounded by real-life people again – even if they are total strangers. Plus, if you have a friend that also works remotely, you can even invite them along to sit at a safe distance from you and have a catch-up.
Make the Most of Zoom Calls
Not only are they great to catch up with your work team, have meetings and go over plans for the day ahead – you can actually use zoom to have fun too. You don’t need to miss out on any work socials just because you’re stuck at home and you can’t get into a pub. Why not try hosting a work game night once a week? Or, if you’re feeling really brave, you can even suggest karaoke – that’s always a laugh! Every team member is feeling just as lonely as you are, so I’m sure they’ll all appreciate you taking the initiative.
Join an Online Community
After a day of absolutely no contact, talking to someone – even if it’s just through social media – feels amazing. You can join Facebook groups for people in your situation, or start tweeting people that share the same interests as you – you’ll soon see just how easy it is to make friends online. If you join local groups, you may even find a new friend to work with in that coffee shop! Plus, the beauty of the internet is that you can connect with anyone in the world at any time, it’s never off! So if you’re loneliest at 2 am, no problem, someone is waiting to talk to you!
Do Stuff you Enjoy Sometimes the only company you need is your own, just because you’re alone, it doesn’t mean you have to be lonely. And it’s hard to feel lonely when you’re having fun. So curl up with a good book, follow an online cooking class, go to the park with your dogs – whatever your idea of a good time is, do it.