Most of my week is spent working from home. While typing hellos and replies is a great deal of fun, and I like having my own space for designing and writing, I also find that it can get lonely.
If I don’t make it outside, I can go days without connecting with someone face-to-face (besides my husband when he gets home from his 9-5). I love my Twitter chats because they provide fabulous human-to-human learning opportunities, but I also find that I may not really speak during the day. In order to avoid this “aloneâ€� feeling which ultimately impacts my work, I’ve come up with some tactics to keep me out of the solo funk.
- Talk to other people. Instead of relying on an email chain to communicate with a client, at a minimum pick up the phone to make that voice connection, or arrange a Skype call or Google Hangout. If you know other people who work from home, have brainstorming lunches where you can give a new set of eyes to the details of each other’s projects. Heck, even walk the dog with a neighbor for some casual conversation.
- Find and outside space to work. Coworking spaces where you can interact with other business professionals with a hello or short conversation are great for at least surrounding yourself with other people. I sometimes find that simply being in a place with others’ energy makes me more productive because of the creative hum in the room.
- Go to the gym. It may come as a surprise, but I have more F2F social during my day at the gym than anywhere else. I have gotten to be amicable with a number of class participants. We check in on each other in the mornings, asking after family, health, and work projects, and call when someone misses a few days to make sure they’re okay.
- Volunteer. Maybe your kid’s school needs lunchroom volunteers or there’s a thrift store around the corner that could use help sorting donations a few hours a week. Whatever peaks your fancy, breaking up your day by giving back not only makes you feel good, but allows you to have that social connection with other like-minded individuals.
Did I miss a trick that works for you? Tweet us @MsCareerGirl with the tools you use to #ConnectIRL when you’re working solo.
