6 Tips to Overcome Loneliness
As freeing as working virtually is, it can also make you feel a bit isolated.
Today, we are going to talk about one of the downsides of working remotely: loneliness. As freeing as working virtually is, it can also make you feel a bit isolated.
As Judy Heminsley, author of Work from Home, says, “Even if your personality makes you happy with your own company for long periods of time, you may not realize just how much you draw on outside stimulation until it is no longer there.
But don’t fall into a pit of despair just yet! Now that you work remotely, you no longer have to go on mandatory work retreats, stay at lame happy hours or engage in pointless small talk at the office.
The really cool part of working remotely is that you get to redefine what being social means and do things that fit your personality.
In this post, we explore 6 creative ways you can feel less lonely while working remotely:
- Social Media Groups
- Real-Time Messaging
- Video Tools
- CoWorking Spaces
- In-Person Meetups
- Work & Travel Programs
1. SOCIAL MEDIA GROUPS
Thanks to social media, there’s no shortage of opportunities to engage with like-minded people on the web. Joining groups and actively participating opens your world, literally, as you interact with people from places and industries you otherwise wouldn’t have access to.
LinkedIn groups are a great place to read or post your own articles and strike up a conversation with a diverse group of professionals. We like LinkedIn because it’s particularly geared towards business, and is a fantastic place to read articles about freelancing, working from home, or growing your customer base. [Bonus] Check out our guide for networking on LinkedIn.
Twitter is great for a number of reasons. New content is constantly being created and shared, and there are numerous ways to interact with people.
The easiest way to find like-minded people is to use relevant hashtags. The following hashtags are great for interacting with other remote workers:#WorkFromHome, #Entrepreneur, #RemoteWork #DigitalNomad. Also, you can use Hashtagify, to search for hashtags that are trending in your field.
Another great way to feel a little more engaged with a community is to partake in aTwitter Chat. A Twitter chat is where a group of users meet at a pre-determined time to discuss a certain topic, using a designated hashtag for each tweet. Check out this fantastic step-by-step guide about managing your own chats.
From groups specifically for virtual assistants or programmers to forums for digital nomads, there’s something for everyone on Facebook.
Thanks to Instagram, we’ve befriended remote workers from all over the globe. These interactions have not only been personally rewarding, but professionally rewarding as well. Whether you’re working as a digital nomad and traveling the globe, or are looking to connect with new people in your hometown, try running a search with a specific location in your search bar.
2. REAL-TIME MESSAGING
Chat services are the new virtual water cooler. Communicating via Slack, Hipchat, and gChat are great ways to build relationships, boost moral, get answers on urgent issues, or share the latest memes.
Several of our clients have their own Slack channels or encourage communication via gChat. Sometimes, these informal channels can help client and remote worker feel a little more connected.
3. VIDEO TOOLS
I’m a huge fan of video-chat services. They’re a great tool for virtual meetings, or 1:1 client calls. Additionally, video chats don’t always have to be work-related. Sometimes, virtual coffee dates can be a great way to stay in touch with friends, family or old colleagues that don’t live nearby.
4. COWORKING SPACES
If you prefer face-to-face interaction, consider going to a coworking space. Coworking spaces are gaining popularity around the globe in response to the increase of digital nomads and remote workers. They can also be a great place to meet people you can potentially collaborate with on future projects.
5. IN-PERSON MEETUPS
Find groups near you, or check out free tours. For example, we recently took a walking tour in Santiago, Chile. The fresh air, brisk walk, and new people were invigorating and helped me feel more productive the rest of the week.
6. WORK & TRAVEL PROGRAMS
Feeling a sense of wanderlust? Pre-planned programs that combine work and travel are a great way to be a digital nomad for a limited time (usually one month to one year, depending on the program) and without having to do it alone.
Now that we shared our go-to’s, tell us, what do you do to feel less lonely?
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About Remote Work Guides:
We are Tannia Suárez and Erin Booth, of RemoteWorkGuides.com. Working remotely has had such a positive impact on our lives and we want others to have the same experience.
Through our Remote Work Guides blog and social media, we share tips and resources to help other remote workers, virtual freelancers and online entrepreneurs.
Head to www.remoteworkguides.com for more remote work tips& tools!
