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How to not be lonely when you work alone!

Working from home has its perks but after a while, loneliness can creep in and before you know it, you start to resent working from home. As the loneliness sets in you start to miss human contact, the chit-chat and office banter and especially those spur of the moment after work drinks! As we mentioned in a previous blog post ‘5 tips you need to run a virtual business’ research suggests that at least half of the UK workforce will work remotely by 2020 so we’ve put our top tips into this helpful guide to help you avoid feeling isolated.

Business Meetings

If your job means you have to communicate with multiple people then why not schedule in some face to face meetings. Perhaps a monthly department meeting or maybe you could schedule face to face meetings for the more senior staff you deal with,  for example your manager or the CEO. If you’re a freelancer, you could arrange a fortnightly coffee with your client to review how your work is progressing, this will keep the client happy and you get to network with actual humans!

Landing Clients

If you’re a freelancer it’s likely you’ll spend a fair amount of time trying to win over new clients. Once the initial ground has been established and you’re certain you’d like to nail this one why not suggest a coffee meet so you can submit your proposal in person. This allows you to get out of the house, network and build new relationships even if you don’t land the client. Another bonus is the client Is far more likely to take interest in a face to face meeting and they can ask questions on the spot allowing you to brush away any doubt.

Lunch dates

Everyone needs lunch whether you’re in the office or at home so be sure to set aside an hour a day for you to switch off from work and refuel. Perhaps you could meet a friend for lunch or maybe you’d like to burn off some steam in the gym. Fill your lunch break with activities which enable you to mix with people.

Working Environment

Who said you have to work from home just because you work remotely? If you live in London there are some fantastic spaces available for you to work from. Just grab your laptop and go! Our favourite is the Google Campus, it’s a free space specifically for freelancers and start-ups. Google provides free wifi, free training events and encourages you to network with new people each day. There is even an outside space and an onsite café.

Co-Working Groups

Why not work alongside like-minded people? Not necessarily in the same industry as you but people in the same situation as you. Search the internet for freelance networking groups in your area. Meetup is a great app to join and search for free co-working opportunities. Signing up takes a few minutes and you’ll have access to hundreds of groups like the W hotel freelance group – 100 Wardour street open its doors every Wednesday and offer free co-working and networking space to the Meetup group or perhaps your looking for something a little more historical, say somewhere Charles Dickens used to visit regularly… There is a Meetup group for that too!

Be Social

Life shouldn’t be all about working and as we discussed earlier working alone for long periods of time can really get you down. Make sure you make time for yourself especially if you’re not able to co-work or get in any lunch dates. Finishing up your day by getting out for dinner with family or friends or catching a movie and some drinks. Or maybe you have a hobby? Join an art class or yoga class, learn a new language or simply hang out with some friends.

Structure

Working in an office environment usually comes with routine, whether it’s your morning commute, checking the company mailbox, having a meeting or taking your lunch you know what you’re doing with your day every day. Working remotely shouldn’t be any different. Your day might look something like this: 10 am co-working at google campus until 12:30. Then you decide to burn off some steam in the gym for half hour before grabbing lunch and finishing up your day working from your local coffee shop. However you choose to do it, plan your day and tasks ahead of time so you don’t sit around feeling isolated and unproductive.