It’s an era that many of us thought that we would never make. The thought of working from home was something that was reserved for a select few and while that number was rising over the long term, it was never ‘supposed’ to become the norm.
How wrong we were. The events over the past twelve months mean that more people are working from home than ever before. Granted, as countries return to normality, this number will start to reduce. However, there will also be a select few who are in this for the long-term – working from home is going to be a permanent thing.
One of the downsides of this setup is the loneliness you may experience from it. You might have more flexibility and you might be able to work from your pyjamas (on some occasions). But, something that is difficult to get around is the loneliness from being in your own four walls, with nobody else around.
This is what today’s article is going to cover. Let’s now take a look at several mechanisms that you can tap into in a bid to get over loneliness while working from home.
Work from a coffee shop
Whether it is Covent Garden or a different area of choice, working from a cafe can help you overcome some elements of your loneliness. While you won’t necessarily be talking directly to people (apart from when you order your beverage, of course), it will provide you with that hustle and bustle of others that many miss as they work away from the office. Some coffee chains are even running special offers to entice once-office workers to use their establishment as a semi-permanent office. It’s most definitely worth considering and seeing if you can adapt.
Join a local group
There are many groups that you can join in your local area. From book clubs to sports teams, there is something for everyone. You might not be able to commit to every single meeting but it’s worth looking into and seeing what you can get out of it. While this won’t occur during working hours, it at least provides some respite during other periods of the day.
Get a pet
If you have space, getting a pet is another way that you can overcome some elements of your loneliness while working from home. While they won’t necessarily talk back (unless they’re a parrot), they will provide companionship and help keep your mind off things when things start getting tough at work or when you’re feeling lonely at home.
Go out for lunch with colleagues or friends
One of the biggest problems with working from home is that we don’t get out much during the day. This means that we don’t interact with others as much as we would like to – which leads us back to our original point: loneliness while working from home. However, if you go out for lunch once or twice a week with colleagues/friends, this will help break up the day and provide some much-needed interaction with other people who aren’t necessarily family members or friends who live close by.
