One of the pitfalls of working from home, is how isolating it can be. When you’re used to working in an office setting surrounded by other workers, it can suddenly feel quite lonely when you’re working by yourself. Isolation creates different problems, including depression and harmful behavior, as found in studies about intimacy vs isolation. That’s why it is important to keep yourself connected to the outside world.
So, how can you stay connected when working from home? Here, you’ll discover some great tips to follow to ensure you don’t feel too isolated.
Host regular group chats with colleagues
As you won’t be seeing your colleagues face to face, it’s important to keep in touch digitally. Hosting regular group chats with colleagues can really help to keep you connected.
Ideally, you’ll want to set aside specific times to do this. Having a group chat first thing in the morning before you start work is a good idea. That way, you’ll be able to get clarification on any projects you’re working on together too.
Take advantage of social media
While you’ll want to limit social media while you’re working, it can still prove useful for staying in touch.
To ensure you don’t waste time on it, a good idea is to set aside specific social media times. This gives you the opportunity to keep in touch with friends, family and colleagues without it negatively impacting your productivity.
And important tip here: remember that whatever you share or say on social media should be considered public, even with privacy setting. Avoid complaining about your job or other people. This is your opportunity to let the quality parts of your personality to shine. Find ways to lift yourself and others up, not pull them down with negativity. Occasionally look over your past posts and ask yourself, am I sharing the best of me?
Utilize video calls
Technology has come a long way over the past decade. You don’t need to be in the same room as colleagues and clients to keep in touch. Instead, you can utilize video call software.
Whether you use something like Apple’s Facetime, or Skype, you can feel much more connected to people. Not only do you hear them, but you see them too which can make a big difference to limiting how isolated you feel.
Set reminders for birthdays and events
You can still celebrate special occasions and events such as birthdays, by setting yourself calendar reminders. This will ensure that even when you’re out of the office, you still stay connected with colleagues during these special times. Look for ways to celebrate special days with others that encourage bonding and creating happy memories together.
Respond to communication quickly
If you receive emails from colleagues and clients, make sure you respond quickly. When you’re working in isolation, waiting hours, or even days, just to get a reply can be tough. So, ensure your colleagues and clients don’t feel ignored by responding as quickly as you can to communication.
These are some of the best ways to stay connected when you’re working from home. It isn’t always easy, but if you make the effort, you’ll feel much less isolated. It can be a real shock to the system moving from office to home working. So, allow yourself a period of adjustment to deal with the changes and adopt a more flexible working approach. As you learn more about how you react to being isolated at home and learn about intimacy versus isolation, you can put healthy social activities to help you live a full and happy life working from home.