Working at home can get lonely

Something you need to keep in mind and plan for is the fact that working from home can get a bit lonely at times.

I don’t really mind it because I can be a social butterfly or a flat out hermit and be happy – that’s just me. I have grown to love the peace and quiet (kids and dogs aside!) of my home. Most of the time, I prefer it over the social scene.

But it is something you need to be aware of and plan for when deciding to work from home full-time.

There’s no more chit-chatting with different people in the office, office luncheons, lunch with co-workers, etc.

It’s just you and your computer.

There are several ways you can combat this.

• Plan lunch with a friend once a week (or more if you like)
• Instant Messaging! – Love It! I have a couple of friends that I IM with throughout the day. We chit-chat, gossip, pass jokes, etc.
• Take a break if you’re working a full day and go somewhere. To the gas station, the grocery store, run some errands, get your nails done – whatever. Just some sort of break to break the mundaneness for a little while. You’ll feel refreshed and ready to focus again when you get home.
• If you have a dog, take her for a walk. This is always nice for me. Me and my dogs get out for a little while, walk, play and enjoy the fresh air.
• Get out of your work area for lunch even if you don’t go anywhere. Don’t burn yourself out, take that break. Maybe call a friend and talk for a few minutes. Just break your mind off of work for a few.
• Go to a coffee shop and have some coffee if you’re a coffee drinker. You can even take your laptop and work there for a bit if you have one and they have wireless Internet (which most do, even fast food restaurants are picking up this trend).

Get creative, there are a lots of way to combat it but those are a few ideas to keep you from getting bored, lonely or feeling too detached from the rest of the world before long.

K