Six ways to combat solitude while working on your own
If working alone has you feeling lonely, read these 6 simple, cost-effective tips on how to cope in a lonely work environment.
Being a solo entrepreneur has lots of advantages.
There is more work to be done all in all. There's no need to engage in with office politics. You can enjoy your time as you want, when you'd want, and you're the master of your own daily routine.
But there's one really big downside that I wish had been warned of by someone:
Even if you're a tough introvert, being on your own and completely by yourselfcan be very lonely.
As in, draw a picture of the volleyball, and then name that "Wilson" levels of isolation. That loneliness, regardless of whether it creeps in or hits your whole body at the same time is a huge distraction from your flow when running an enterprise.
We understand that we've been there. This time, we'll share how we get around it by providing our 6 favorite strategies for coping with isolation when flying by yourself.
Let's begin.
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Six ways to combat loneliness while working remotely
#1. Do not miss the opportunity to exercise.
Although it might sound like something unrelated, our first way to reduce loneliness when working alone is to incorporate fitness into your routine.
Why? There's nothing more powerful for mental wellbeing than regular exercise.
A research study published within the front Psychiatry medical journal has revealed that exercise reduces anxiety and releases endorphins, the consequence of which can help you generate positive emotions as well as reduce your perceptions of discomfort.
Productivity aside, loneliness leads directly to declines in mental wellbeing. Its adverse effects increase anxiety, depression and mood disorders. It can also lead to cognitive decline.
It is beneficial to exercise to proactively take care of yourself and reduce the impact of depression on your mental health.
Sadly, though, only 23% of Americans have enough time to exercise.
According to the Department of Health and Human Services Adults should be able to be able to complete at minimum 2.5 to 5 hours of moderate intensity aerobic exercises in addition to 1.25 or 2.5 hours of intense-intensity exercise each week.
The fact that people do not exercise enough isn't surprising. If you look at the sheer amount of time we spend at a desk that's daily time of 12 hours for adults and 60 hours and 40 minutes every day for teenagers.
You could be whittling away all day in front of a screen, and maybe even more than that, in the event that you're too lazy to get up and take time out for exercise.
What about exercise? Does it help with loneliness? It's unlikely. However, it could aid in reducing some of its worst effects, and as it pertains to preventatives this is a low-cost option.
Get up and go. Do some dancing if you like or do some intense yoga if it's not.
Whatever you do, don't be a victim of spending the majority of your time on a computer. It isn't healthy, and only increases loneliness's effects.
As does skipping breaks in general.
#2. Make sure you take regular breaks (free from screens and devices)
Whether you take a break to exercise, go for a walk through the neighborhood, or stand up and take a stretch break, having regular breaks from your work is essential, especially for those who work on their own.
In the event that you're working by yourself, remote, or from home, you can stay entranced by your laptop screen, without having to endure the typical drinking-in-the-water desk distractions by officemates and coworkers.
Also, as you've probably guessed screentime can be a risky tunnel to be caught in.
Based on a University of Illinois study, one break per an hour can help you be more productive by giving your brain an opportunity to take a break for the space it needs to renew energy and concentrate.
Unfortunately, like exercising, it's now a common behavior to skip out on breaks, like your lunch break.
According to research by Tork, 62% of millennials would go for a longer lunch break in the event that they could, when which is compared with only 46% of boomers.
Furthermore, 16% of millennials say they'd consider taking a 10% pay cut to take a daily lunch break.
This is nearly the same as the percentage of gen-Xers and more than three times the percentage of boomers indicates that the way we're going is a chronic habit of ditching lunch breaks.
It's important to note that you avoid falling victim to the pressures of culture that come with taking breaks to work. Although it might seem like you're staying productive but the truth is that it contributes to further health decline in addition to the impacts from being siloed at your desk.
Take a breaks every hour. This helps you stay focused, increase your energy as well as overall efficiency.
If you can, go more seriously and make proper breaks -- ones with a group of friendsin the afternoon after work.
#3. Plan social activities in the evening after work
Although it might not be specifically related to battling solitude during the workday The third recommendation to fight loneliness is brief and simple -- create social plans outside of work.
Socializing on social media doesn't count. It needs to be face-to-face regardless of whether it's an Zoom phone or in any other way.
One UCSD investigation revealed that face-toface social interactions can improve your health and improve your overall health, whereas using Facebook could negatively impact the health of your mental and physical bodies.
If you don't want to arrange a time for socializing after work, combine two of our suggestions and plan a meal with someone or take a midday break to hike with a companion.
If you're not in the location to venture out and about around town, consider a virtual face-to-face Happy Hour, knit time or cat .GIF hour is just as well.
Or, you can schedule an event with a group of people on your calendar and plan to do regular activities.
A significant 20 percent of workers who work remotely suffer from loneliness which makes it among the top struggles of working in solitude (tied with collaborating and communicating).
In addition, with an overwhelming 98% of remote workers intending to continue their way of life for the duration of their careers, this loneliness issue is here to stay and only becoming increasingly important in battling.
We also know that the importance of allowing time for social activities can be a challenge. There are family members to attend to, pets who indulge in affection as well as a myriad of additional obstacles that keep you stretched for time.
For that, there's another alternative -the online community.
#4. Participate in an online mastermind group
The fourth method we recommend to combat loneliness while working alone is to interact with co-workers and peers through an online mastermind or group.
Joining a relevant online group is a powerful method to connect and create friendships with other like-minded individuals.
Furthermore, it provides you with the opportunity to interact with other people, and is a bonus of fueling your motivation. Actually, you'll be able to stay focused on your work for 64% more time in collaboration with other people as opposed when you work on the task alone.
Brit Kolo, co-founder of Marketing Personalities, told me that joining a mastermind community is one of the most profitable investments she's made in her business so far -- not only because of the increase in business but also because of the lifelong friends and supportive group of people it offers.
"I've grown as a person, executive, and as a leader. The other business owners in my mastermind have become long-lasting friends and I'm not saying it lightly."
The signs point to the society in need of more thought-leadership like what you find in a mastermind group. A HRPA study revealed that 60% of the millennials feel their leadership skills aren't getting improved.
It is crucial to identify your tribe and develop a bond with them. The relationships you build can nurture through live video chat.
It's also the next thing we'll do to stave off loneliness in a remote environment.
#5. Leverage video conferencing
Another effective way to fight away loneliness when working from home is to utilize live video apps to connect to your coworkers and acquaintances.
Why video conferencing? It is effective, as per the overwhelming majority of users.
98% of the people consider that videoconferencing can help them build relationships in and outside their organizations.
On top of that, 96% of individuals agree or strongly agree that video conferencing can be a great way to enhance the communication among remote team members.
If you're traveling on your own, you can still lean on video conferencing to connect to other individuals in a more intimate way, whether group members or otherwise.
Video chats are more interesting in comparison to, for example, a phone call or email because it adds an additional layer of nonverbal communication that's otherwise left out in non-face-to-face communication.
70 percent of the communication we use is non-verbal. That means that if you're using text or audio the connection is only around 30% of the connection at the very best.
It's not likely to improve on anyone's loneliness -- but it can be improved upon in any case.
Video can also aid in your collaborative and innovative efforts. In fact, according to research conducted by LifeSize, 50% of businesses who use videoconferencing are more creative, and 55% are more collaborative.
If you're searching for no-cost video-conferencing software, you should consider Skype , Webex as well as Zoom .
The moral here is to make the most of technology and use live video conference to connect in a face-to-face conversation with your colleagues in your day-to-day routine.
The final suggestion takes it a step further and involves interacting with people in real-time at coworking spaces.
#6. Make it the coworking area or put it on the outside of your home
Assuming it's safe to travel one of the best ways to deal with loneliness while working is to leave your office in the home, and instead use a coworking area or shared office space or even a cafe.
The idea is to alter your surroundings to be more welcoming to other humans and work from a place other from your place of residence. This increases the chances of escaping a lonely rut, engaging with other people and forming discussions, even if only a brief one in a cafe.
Locating a coworking space near you shouldn't be a problem nowadays, since these spaces seem to be appearing everywhere.
The number of coworking facilities has skyrocketed to over 26,300 in the world . The US only, this number is expected to increase to over 6,200 before 2022.
For the population, it was the Global Coworking Unconference Conference (GCUC) projected that there will at least 5.1 million coworking members around the world by 2022 that's a staggering 24.2 percent annual increase. All indications suggest that this is a true projection.
So that's plenty of potential friends to make and even though, given these circumstances, you'll need to meet them at the distance. Get out there (as you can) and include a couple others to your contact list. It will help you combat the blues of being a soloist, and perhaps even turn into a future job opportunity.
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Find your rhythm
Working alone doesn't mean you're alone.
It's crucial to be proactive and prevent solitude from affecting your life while you develop your remote career and business.
To summarize:
Make sure you take charge of your mental health by engaging in regular exercise. Many benefits can boost your well-being and business overall.
Take regular breaks, too. Contrary to what some believe, they can actually help you more productive and focused.
Set aside time for social gatherings and meetups outside your workday. The face-to-face time is much wanted and should not fall by the side, no matter if you have to do it over conferencing software.
Join relevant online forums such as masterminds and Facebook groups for a chance to connect with like-minded individuals and develop lasting friendships. Reddit and Slack communities can also serve this goal.
Increase your interaction with others by making use of live videoconferencing software in the extent you can. Much of our communication is nonverbal to rely on text and audio alone.
In the end, if it's secure to work from a coworking space, consider working from coworking spaces and places outside your home workplace into your routine. Little environmental changes can have big impacts on your mental strength.
As a group, we've all been remote workers for years The reality of it is that one can never fully escape the loneliness which comes from working on your own.
You'll adapt, and by incorporating just a few these strategies You'll quickly realize that being on your own doesn't need become an isolated island. You can still have your group, even though you must travel further than the internet, conference calls platforms, or coworking space for it.