6 ways to deal with loneliness when working alone
If being on your own leaves you feeling lonely, get these six easy, affordable strategies to deal with loneliness while working remotely.
Being a solo entrepreneur has lots of benefits.
You get more done, generally. It's not necessary to participate in office politics. You're able to enjoy your time as you like when you would like and be in control of your every day life.
There's a major negative that I'd like to know had been warned of by someone:
If you're not the most tough introvert, being on your own -- completely alone -- is an extremely lonely experience.
For example, you can draw an ice hockey ball and call the ball "Wilson" degrees of loneliness. It's true that loneliness, no matter if it creeps into your life or strikes you all at once, can really throw off the flow of your life when you're trying to run an enterprise.
We get it that we've experienced it. This time, we'll share how we get around this issue by sharing our top six strategies for coping with solitude when traveling on your own.
Let's dive right in.
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6 ways to cope with loneliness while working remote.
#1. Take the time to exercise
While it may sound unrelated, our first way to combat loneliness while working in a solitary environment is to integrate fitness into your routine.
Why? Nothing is more beneficial for mental wellbeing than regular exercise.
A study that was published within the Front Psychiatry scientific journal revealed the fact that exercise can reduce anxiety. Additionally, it produces endorphins. This is the consequence of which can help you create positive emotions and decrease your sense of pain.
Loneliness is not the only reason for productivity. It can lead directly to declines in your mental health. Its negative consequences worsen depression, anxiety, mood disorders, and mental decline.
Exercising is a great way to be proactive and take care of yourself and reduce the impact of depression in your health.
Unfortunately, however, it is only 23% of Americans get enough exercise.
As per the Department of Health and Human Services According to the Department of Health and Human Services, adults must complete at minimum 2.5 to five hours of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise in addition to 1.25 to 2.5 hours of intense-intensity exercise each week.
The fact that people aren't getting enough exercise isn't a surprise. If you look at the amount of time that is spent at a desk that's 12 hours a day for adults, and six hours and forty minutes each day for teens.
That's right, you could be whittling away half your life on a screen, and maybe much more when you're still too lazy to get up and take the time to exercise.
Look, will exercising alleviate loneliness? Most likely not. But it can and will help you combat certain of the negative effects, and as far as preventatives go this is a low-cost option.
Therefore, stand moving and get up. Do some dancing if you like and do some yoga that is high-intensity if it's not.
Whatever you do, don't be a victim of spending your entire day on a computer. This is not healthy and can only increase the effects of loneliness that are compounded.
As does skipping breaks in general.
#2. Make sure you take regular breaks (free from all screens and devices)
If you decide to take a break for a workout, go for a walk through the neighborhood, or stand up and take a stretch break, having regular breaks during your day is essential, particularly for those who work on their own.
In the event that you're working by yourself in a remote office or at your home office, it's simple to stay entranced by your computer screen without the traditional water cooler chat or drive-by office colleagues interrupting your desk coworkers.
Also, as you've probably guessed screentime is a hazard tunnel to be caught in.
According to the findings of a University of Illinois study, having a short break each hour helps you perform better as it provides your brain with a short break to give it the amount of time needed to recharge energy and focus.
Unfortunately, like fitness, it's becoming a popular habit to not take breaks. This includes your lunch break.
According to research by Tork, 62% of millennials are willing to take a longer lunch break If they had the chance, as which is compared with only 46% of boomers.
What's more, 16% of millennials claim they'd go as far as accepting a 10% salary cut in lieu of a daily lunch break.
The fact that this is nearly the same as the percentage of gen-Xers as well as more than triple the number of boomers reveals that, the way we're going is the habit of not taking lunch breaks.
It's important to note that you do not succumb to the cultural pressure of taking breaks to work. While it may feel as if you're achieving however, it actually contributes to further health decline and adds impacts from being siloed at your desk.
Instead, take one breaks every hour. This helps you stay focused, increase your energy as well as general performance.
You can take it to the next level and plan some appropriate breaks- those with your friends- after the workday.
#3. Schedule social plans in the evening after work
While it may not be directly related to combating solitude during the workday Our third suggestion to combat loneliness is simple and simple -- create time for yourself to socialize beyond work.
Socializing on social media doesn't count. You must be in person in any way, be it a Zoom phone or in any other way.
A UCSD investigation discovered that face-to-face interactions can improve your health, while the use of Facebook could affect your physical and mental health.
If you're not looking to schedule a social event in between work hours, try combining some of our ideas and plan a meal with someone or schedule a break during the day to go on a hike with a companion.
If you're not in a position to get out-and-about in the city, you can have a virtual happy hour, knitting time, or cat .GIF time works equally good.
Whatever you decide to do, put an activity with friends in person in your calendar, and make sure you do it regularly.
A significant 20 percent of remote workers struggle with loneliness and loneliness, which is one of the most difficult challenges of working alone (tied with collaborating and communicating).
With an astounding 98 percent of workers who work from home plan to maintain their way of life for the duration of their careers, this problem of loneliness is going for good and will only get increasingly important in battling.
However, carving out personal time to spend time with friends isn't always an option. There are families to look after to, pets that be awed by as well as a myriad of others that could cause you to be stretched out.
If you're looking for a solution, here's an possibility -the online community.
#4. Join an online mastermind or group
Fourth method to beat solitude while working is to connect with coworkers and peers through a group or online mastermind.
Joining a relevant online group is an effective way to engage and build friendships with other like-minded individuals.
Additionally, it offers you the chance to collaborate with your colleagues, and this is a bonus of boosting your motivation. You'll actually be more likely to stay focused on your work 64% longer in collaboration together as opposed doing it on your own.
Brit Kolo, the creator of Marketing Personalities, told me that joining a mastermind is the best investment she's made in her company to date -- not only because of the business growth but also due to the lifelong friends and supportive group of people it offers.
"I've developed as a human being, a leader, and a CEO. Other business owners from my mastermind group have turned into lifelong friends, and I don't say that lightly."
The signs point to the global need for more thought leadership similar to what you can find in a mastermind group. A HRPA study revealed that 60% of the millennials think their leadership capabilities aren't being built.
It is crucial to find your tribe and develop a bond with them. These are relationships that you could and can nurture through Live video chat.
It's also our next tip for staving away loneliness in a distant setting.
#5. Leverage video conferencing
Another powerful way to fend off loneliness while working from home is to utilize live video applications to stay in touch with colleagues and your friends.
Why video conferencing? It works, according to the overwhelming majority of users.
98% of people believe video conferencing helps create relationships within and out of their companies.
On top of that, 96% of respondents believe or strongly agree that video conferencing is an effective way to increase the connection among remote team members.
Even when you're flying on your own You can still rely on video conferencing to connect to other individuals on a deeper level, regardless of whether they are you're a team member or otherwise.
Video chat can be more enjoyable in comparison to, for example telephone calls or email because it adds an additional layer of nonverbal communication that's otherwise left out in non-face-to-face communication.
70 70% of communication is nonverbal, which means that if you're using audio or text it's only just 30% of the information at best.
That's definitely not going help anyone's feelings of isolation -- at least not as much as it could be improved on at all.
Video also helps in collaboration and innovation. In fact, in a study conducted by LifeSize, 50% of companies which use video conference are more innovative, and 55% of them collaborate better.
If you're in search of free video-conferencing software, you should consider Skype , Webex and Zoom .
The moral here is to take advantage of the latest technology by using live video conference to connect face-to-face with people throughout your working day.
Our final tip takes it a step further and involves interacting with people in real-time at coworking spaces.
#6. Mix it up with the coworking area or put it outside your home
If you're sure that it's safe an alternative way to deal with loneliness while working is to get out of the office at home and utilize or a coworking facility or shared office space or even a coffee shop.
It is important to periodically alter your surroundings to be more welcoming to others and to be in a different location from your place of residence. It increases the likelihood of getting out of your lonely spot and interacting with others, and striking up discussions, even if only just a short one in a cafe.
Finding a local coworking space in your area shouldn't be an issue in these days, as they appear to be popping up all over the place.
The number of coworking facilities has exploded to more than 26,300 across the globe . The US alone, the number is expected to increase up to 6,200 in 2022.
As for the number of members according to the Global Coworking Unconference Conference (GCUC) predicted that there would be 5.1 million members of coworking worldwide by 2022, this is an impressive 24.2 percent annual increase. All indications indicate that it is an accurate forecast.
There's a lot of acquaintances to connect with, even if, in these circumstances, you'll need to meet them at some distance. Get out there (as you can) and consider adding a few more colleagues to your address file. This will allow you to fight off the solo blues And perhaps become a potential career option.
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Combat loneliness and find your rhythm
Being a solo person doesn't mean that you have to be lonely.
It's important to be proactive and stop solitude from affecting your life as you nurture your remote career and business.
To summarize:
Be proactive in taking care of your mental health through doing your exercise regularly. The numerous benefits of exercise will improve the overall health of your business and improve its performance.
Make sure you take regular breaks too. Contrary to what some imagine, they will make your work more efficient and focuses.
Set aside time for social gatherings and meetups outside your workday. The face-to-face time is much required and should not be left to the wayside, even if you have to do via a conference software.
Join relevant online forums such as masterminds or Facebook groups for a chance to connect with like-minded individuals and establish lasting connections. Reddit or Slack communities also work for the same purpose.
Enhance your communication to other people utilising live video conferencing applications whenever you are able to. A lot of conversations are not verbal, and we can't depend on audio and text for all communication.
If it's safe to incorporate work from coworking areas and places outside your home office into your weekly schedule. Little environmental changes can have big impacts in your mental health.
As a group as a group, we've had remote work for many years The reality of the matter is that you'll never fully escape the loneliness that comes with working alone.
You'll adapt, and by incorporating the strategies listed above, you'll soon find that working on your own doesn't have become an isolated island. It's still possible to have your tribe, even if you must travel into the abyss of the internet, conference calls platforms, or coworking space for it.