How to Avoid Becoming a Hermit While Working From Home
I like people, but I have always been shy and cherish loneliness. When I started working from home, I was looking forward to that time: no more meetings, small talk, or awkward happy hours. It was ok for a while, but then I got lonely. Even worse, I developed mild social anxiety. Even going to the grocery store seemed like an obstacle. I had to do something about it.
Even though I am an introvert, communicating with colleagues is what I miss most in my traditional job. I didn’t realize how much I really enjoyed meeting new people or dining out with people I wouldn’t normally know outside of work. In addition, these doses of interaction made life a little easier.
Studies like this study by the University of Amsterdam show that social interaction can be a risk factor for depression, and when you’re depressed, it can be difficult to work. When you are free to be alone, you tend to retire when you are depressed, but when you have to go to the office every day, you really have no choice: you need to talk to people and get out of it. your head. But even if you don’t get depressed, spending too much time on your own can be a nuisance. I needed both the freedom to work where I want and the benefits of human interaction, so I adopted a few rules to avoid becoming a hermit.
Find a work buddy
If you have other friends or colleagues who work remotely, team up with them and work together. For example, life hacker writer Stephanie Lee is one of my favorite work buddies. We meet often, discuss our work and even write articles together. This is the same interaction that I have with a colleague in the office.
Your partner does not have to be a remote worker. Once a week I work with another friend of mine. She works in the office from 9 to 5, but after work we meet in a cafe to work on our own projects together. We work in completely different areas, but the important thing is that I leave the house and communicate with a real person.
You can always work in a cafe or library, but I’ve found that when I’m too isolated, I avoid those places too and just work from home. It might be better to find a coworking space and join in . Yes, you have to pay to use this space, but that might motivate you to actually use it.
If possible, choose a contact by phone
As tempting as it is to communicate strictly via Slack or email, from time to time face-to-face meetings (or at least voice meetings) are important. Whenever possible, choose a phone or Skype to communicate with people. And The Guardian suggests making this contact early in the morning:
Make business calls first thing in the morning so you can start living outside the home right away. It can also help you plan your priorities for the day. At times, you may need to chat with friends or family, but try not to encourage them to call you during the day when it can be distracting.
Even better, if your client, prospect, or other coworker wants to hang out and live nearby, offer to have lunch together. This way you will actually leave the house in the process.
Leave for lunch
You can go out for lunch even if you don’t have anyone to meet either. I have a bad habit of dining at my desk every day. Not only is this antisocial, it’s also a bad idea because I get overwhelmed and don’t take breaks, and taking breaks helps you stay productive . Lunch is a good time to get out of the house, chat with people and give your mind an energy boost.
To force myself to go out for lunch, I actually limit the lunchtime I keep at home to encourage myself to eat out for a couple of days a week. It’s cheaper to eat at home, of course, but it costs an extra $ 20 a week to get yourself out of the house. Plus, sometimes I just go to the grocery store and pick up food that I would have eaten at home anyway. I still leave the house but spend less money.
Don’t be afraid of the net
Most people hate networking, and that’s because most people misunderstand what it is . Like many hermits, chatting and chatting is the last thing I enjoy with people. For a while, I thought networking was everything.
However, this should not be the case. If you approach it like to communicate with like-minded people and helping people, when you can, it’s not so bad. And that’s actually the best way to approach it if you’re primarily afraid of social interactions. For example, I recently “chatted” with another writer who writes about money. We didn’t ask each other for favors, we didn’t chat. We talked about writing, our families and social issues. It was fun, interesting, and I really enjoyed the conversation.
It’s easy enough to get in touch with other people in your industry, but if sending a cold email seems too weird to you, you can always sign up for events. Join the career Facebook group . Find and join a conference in your industry. Or just create your own network group.
Travel more, even if you have to work
When I get really stuck on my way, I plan a trip. It’s not a privilege for everyone, but even if you’re planning a cheap trip to a nearby town, there is nothing better than traveling to change your habits. You step out of your comfort zone, see new places, eat something new, sleep in a completely different bed, wake up and see a completely different view. This novelty is good for you : it improves your memory, makes you happy and motivates you.
When you’re in your head, depressed and deprived of motivation due to isolation, travel can, so to speak, reboot your brain. Of course, that also means you have to figure out how to squeeze in work while traveling, but that’s a completely different task. Ideally, you can embrace the novelty of travel and make your daily life more like a vacation . What is the easiest way to do this? Say yes to new things more often .
The point is, being new is an important part of keeping you from falling into the hermit trap. It’s not just about getting out of the house, but also about your comfort zone. For those of us who value our own company, it can be very difficult to give up our comfort habits. However, it is important for your productivity and more importantly for your mental health.