Six ways to combat isolation when you work alone
If being on your own leaves you feeling lonely, read these six easy, affordable suggestions on how to cope in a lonely work environment.
Being a solo entrepreneur has lots of benefits.
It's easier to get things done generally. You don't have to play the game of office politics. You can enjoy your time as you'd like, whenever you'd like, and you're in control of your daily routine.
There's a major disadvantage that I'd rather I'd been warned about by someone:
If you're not the most tough introvert, being on your own on your own - completely and unnoticedcan be lonely.
As in, draw a picture of an ice hockey ball and call that "Wilson" degrees of loneliness. It's true that loneliness, no matter if it creeps in or hits you all at once is a huge distraction from your groove when you're working to manage your business.
We've all been there We've had to be there. Today, we'll tell you the best way to deal with it with our six favorite coping strategies to combat loneliness when you're flying solo.
Let's dive right in.
Being a successful business owner is less lonely when you have a team who are rooting for your. J sign up for a free account to gain access to the creator community as well as friendly assistance and all the resources you require to succeed.
6 ways to cope with loneliness when working at a distance
#1. Make time for exercise
Although it might sound like something unrelated, our first way to combat loneliness while working alone is to incorporate fitness into your routine.
Why? Nothing is more beneficial to improve your mental well-being than regular exercise.
A study that was published in front Psychiatry scientific journal showed the fact that exercise can reduce anxiety. Additionally, it release endorphins. The results of which help create positive emotions and decrease your sense of suffering.
Loneliness is not the only reason for productivity. It can lead right to a decrease in your mental well-being. Its negative consequences worsen depression, anxiety and mood disorders. It can also lead to the decline in your cognitive capacity.
Exercise is an excellent way to proactively take care of yourself and reduce the negative effects of isolation on your mental health.
Unfortunately, however, it is only 23 percent of Americans have enough time to fitness.
According to the Department of Health and Human Services Adults should be able to be able to complete at the very least 2.5 to 5 hours of moderate-intensity aerobic workout as well as 1.25 to 2.5 hours of vigorous intensity every week.
It's true that a lot of people don't exercise enough doesn't come as a shock. When you consider the amount of time we spend on a computer screen that's twelve hours per day for adults and six hours and forty minutes every day for teenagers.
You could spend half your life at a screen, and maybe even more, in the event that you're not getting up to take the time to exercise.
Look, will exercising alleviate loneliness? It's unlikely. But it can and will assist you in combating the worst side effects, and as in terms of preventatives, it's a cheap one.
Therefore, stand up and move. If dancing is your thing or do some intense yoga even if you're not.
No matter what you do, don't get caught in the trap of draining half your day on a computer. This is not healthy and only increases loneliness's effects.
As does skipping breaks in general.
#2. Take regular breaks (free from screens and devices)
If you decide to take a break to exercise or take a stroll around the block, or stand up and take a stretch break, having regular breaks during your day is a must, especially for those who work on their own.
When you work alone in a remote office or at home, it's easy to stay entranced by your computer screen without the traditional conversation at the water cooler or office colleagues interrupting your desk colleagues.
As you are aware, screentime is a dangerous tunnel to be caught into.
According to the findings of a University of Illinois study, one break per hour can help you be more productive by giving your brain a short break to give it the space it needs to refuel and regain concentrate.
As with fitness, it's becoming a popular behavior to skip out on breaks, like the lunch break.
According to research by Tork, 62% of millennials would go for an extended lunch break If they had the chance, as in contrast to just 46 percent of Boomers.
Furthermore, 16% of millennials say they're willing to accepting a 10% salary cut to take having a lunch break every day.
This figure of almost the same as the number of Gen-Xers and more than triple the number of boomers suggests that in our culture, we're heading towards the habit of not taking lunch breaks.
All this to say, avoid falling victim to the culture-based pressure of working through your breaks. While it may feel like you're staying productive but the truth is that it causes further health problems and adds impacts from being siloed at your desk.
Instead, take one break every hour, which increases your focus, energy, and overall efficiency.
If you can, go more seriously and make proper breaks -- the kind with friends -in the afternoon after work.
#3. Plan social activities at night after work
Although it might not be specifically related to battling loneliness during working hours The third recommendation to combat loneliness is simple and sweet -- make time for yourself to socialize outside of work.
Socializing on social media doesn't count. Face-to-face calls are required regardless of whether it's an Zoom phone or in any other way.
One UCSD investigation revealed that face-toface social interactions enhance your well-being and improve your overall health, whereas engaging on Facebook will likely affect the health of your mental and physical bodies.
If you don't want to schedule a social event after work, combine some of our ideas and schedule a lunch with someone or make a lunch break to hike with a companion.
If you're not in a position to get out-and-about around town, consider an online time, happy hour hour, or cat .GIF hour works just as good.
Or, you can schedule a face-to-face social activity on your calendar and plan to do it regularly.
An estimated 20 percent of those working remotely are lonely and loneliness, which is one of the top struggles of working in solitude (tied to collaboration and communication).
And with an overwhelming 98 percent of those who work remotely plan to maintain their way of life for the duration of their careers, this loneliness issue is here for good and will only get increasingly important in battling.
However, carving out personal time to socialize isn't always an option. There are families to tend to, pets who indulge in affection as well as a myriad of other barriers that can cause you to be stretched out.
If you're looking for a solution, here's an possibility -the online community.
#4. Be part of an online mastermind group
The fourth method we recommend to combat isolation while working on your own is to interact with co-workers and colleagues through an online mastermind or group.
Participating in a relevant online community can be a great method to connect and create camaraderie with like-minded people.
Additionally, it offers you the opportunity to interact with your colleagues, and this has the additional benefit in boosting your enthusiasm. Actually, you'll be able to stick with your task up to 64% longer when working with other people as opposed when you work on the task alone.
Brit Kolo, who is the creator of Marketing Personalities, told me that joining a mastermind community is the most beneficial investment she's made for her business up to now -- and not only because of the increase in business but also due to the friendships and constant support group of people it offers.
"I've developed as a human being, a executive, and as a leader. Other business owners from my mastermind group have turned into long-lasting friends and I do not say that lightly."
The signs point to the world needing more thought leadership similar to what you can find in a mastermind group. A HRPA research found that 60% of the millennials feel their leadership skills haven't been developed.
The important part is finding your tribe, and build a relationship with them. The relationships you build should nurture with live video chat.
In a way, it's the next thing we'll do to stave away loneliness in a distant environment.
#5. Leverage video conferencing
Another effective way to fight away loneliness when working from home is to utilize live video software to communicate with colleagues and your friends.
Why video conferencing? It's effective, according to an overwhelming majority of people who use it.
90% of users consider that videoconferencing can help create relationships within and outside their organizations.
On top of that, 96% of individuals agree or strongly agree that videoconferencing is a reliable method to increase the connection among team members who are located far away.
Even when you're flying on your own and not having a team, you are able to rely using video conferencing in order to connect with other people at a higher level whether you're a team member or non-team members.
Video chat can be more enjoyable in comparison to, for example telephone calls or email, because it provides an extra level of non-verbal communication normally absent in other forms of non-face-to face conversation.
70% of our communication is not verbal. This means when you're relying on audio or text it's only just 30% of the information at most.
It's not likely make anyone feel better about their isolation -- at least but it can be improved upon in any case.
Video will also help with your collaborative and innovative efforts. In fact, according to research conducted by LifeSize, 50% of the companies that use video conferencing are more innovative and 55% of them are more collaborative.
If you're looking for free video-conferencing software, you should consider Skype , Webex , or Zoom .
The moral here is to make the most of technology and utilize live video conference to connect face-to-face with people throughout your working day.
Our final tip takes it a step further by interacting in person with coworking spaces.
#6. Get creative with a coworking space or place outside your home
If you're sure that it's safe, another effective way to deal with loneliness while working is to leave your home office and use either a coworking space or a shared office, or even a café.
The point is to occasionally change your environment to include people from other places and to work from a place other than your home. This increases the chances of getting out of your lonely spot and interacting with others and forming conversation, even if it's just a short one by chatting with a barista.
Finding a local coworking space in your area shouldn't be a challenge these days since they seem to be popping up all over the place.
The number of coworking facilities is now over 26,300 in the world . In the US only, this number will increase up to 6,200 by 2022.
In terms of people in terms of people, the Global Coworking Unconference Conference (GCUC) predicted that there would at least 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 projection.
There's a lot of friends to make and even though, given these circumstances, you'll have to do it at the distance. Make yourself visible (as as you're able) and add a few more colleagues to your address list. It will help you fight off the solo blues as well as who knows, it might even turn into a future career option.
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Find your rhythm
If you're working on your own, it doesn't mean you're alone.
It's important to take the initiative to prevent solitude from affecting your life as you nurture your business and career from a distance.
To summarize:
Make sure you take care of your mental health through exercising regularly. Its many benefits will boost the general health of you and your company.
Also, take frequent breaks. Contrary to what some believe, they can actually help you more focused and productive.
Make plans for social events and get togethers during your off time. The face-to-face time is much needed and shouldn't fall to the back of the pack, even when you must do it over conferencing software.
Join relevant online groups like masterminds and Facebook groups for a chance to connect with like-minded individuals and build lasting relationships. Reddit as well as Slack communities can also serve this goal.
Improve your communications with others by using live video conferencing tools as much as you can. A lot of communication is nonverbal to rely on text and audio alone.
In the end, if it's secure to do so, incorporate working from coworking spaces and places outside your home office into your weekly schedule. Little environmental changes can have big impacts on your mental strength.
We're a group We've all had remote work for many years, and the truth of it is that one can never fully escape the loneliness which comes from working on your own.
But you will adjust, and by incorporating only a handful of these methods, you'll soon find that working on your own doesn't have become an isolated island. You can still have your group, even though you must travel further than the internet, conference calls platforms, or co-working spaces to locate the group.