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Work From Home Loneliness Is A Thing - Photo: Oksana, YFS Magazine, Adobe Stock

Work From Home Loneliness Is A Thing, Let’s Talk About It

When you work from home, it's an exciting prospect at first. The euphoria of rolling out of bed and walking a few feet to your office can be...


When you run a business and work remotely or work from home, it seems like an exciting prospect at first. The euphoria of rolling out of bed and walking a few feet your home office can be a real motivator.

Photo: Rebecca Lockwood | Credit: Jenny Milner Photography

No distractions while managing your own time on your own terms can be blissful. However, when you work from home, after some time it can become lonely. You may find yourself craving interaction with others and oddly enough you miss the hustle and bustle of office life. All of this can subconsciously impact your mood, mental wellness, and overall productivity.

Personality traits, such as being an introvert or an extrovert, can also impact your overall work from home satisfaction.

Extroverts may crave being around others at times. Introverts may love working from home solo and still desire a connection with others. We all crave human connection because we are all human. Yet we all require different levels of interaction.

 

How to overcome work from home loneliness

Scientist and author of Social, Matthew Lieberman says “We may not like the fact that we are wired such that our well-being depends on our connections with others, but the facts are the facts.”

Connection is key to feeling fulfilled and connected to others and the world around us. This approach has helped me in my own business tremendously.

I connected online with other female entrepreneurs who were doing similar things as me and we created an informal mastermind group. It didn’t quite work out as we planned, but I connected with two people ouside of the group.

We arranged a weekly catch up call and continued to connect over Whatsapp. Whenever we need to chat or simply be each others sounding board, we are there for each other – no judgements and just a listening ear. Over the years we have connected most weeks without fail, sometimes even daily.

If you feel lonely while you work from home, and want to start making connections, here are some tips to get started.

 

Connect with others on zoom

If you are missing the chatter and connection of others then logging in to Zoom can be a great way to keep connections fresh and catch up with people. You can also schedule weekly catch ups with remote team members.

 

Join local networks

There are so many local networks available to connect with people who are doing similar things as you. If you work for yourself, local networking can be done in-person and online. Joining local networks also gives you the opportunity to learn from and connect with others who are on the same wavelength as you.

 

Pick up the phone

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic forced people into isolation, separating them from friends, co-workers and loved ones, experts were beginning to consider loneliness an epidemic—one affecting an estimated three out of five Americans. If you do feel the need to connect with others, send your friends  a message and pick up the phone and call your colleagues.

 

Take your personality into consideration

When you know your personality type (are you more introverted or extroverted?) you can understand why you feel certain ways. You know if you want to be alone it’s okay. On the other hand, when you want to connect with others you can do so.

 

Speak out and don’t let it fester

If you are feeling lonely or sad then speak up about it. Often people find when they share their feelings that others, they learn they are not alone and share commonalities.

 

Work from cafes and coworking spaces

Sometimes you may not want to speak to others, but you still want to be around people. A simple change in location can make a huge difference. Working from a local cafe or coworking space can do wonders for your creativity and collaboration.

 

If you are feeling lonely while working from home, you are not alone. One of the key takeaways from this past year is there is greater awareness of how important social connection is for our well-being – especially for those of us who work from home.

 

IF YOU NEED HELP

If you or someone you know is struggling or having thoughts of suicide, help is available. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK), use the online Lifeline Chat or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.

 

Rebecca Lockwood is a Neuro-Linguistic Programming Therapist and Trainer, #1 Best Selling Author of the book The Females Handbook: Step into your Personal Potential and my work has appeared on Women’s Health, Stylist, Cosmopolitan, Harpers Bazaar, Thrive Global, Huffington Post and more. 

 

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