7 Tips on How to Make Friends When You Work from Home

One-to-one video calls and even group video calls are usually free for an unlimited time on most video platforms. As far as remote working goes, there’s a way of inviting other users into your digital working space to further concentrate your mind. You don’t get any of the advanced scheduling tools or partnering technology that Focusmate offers—you need to invite someone you know—but it may work better for https://remotemode.net/blog/tips-on-how-to-make-friends-when-you-work-from-home/ you. According to internal user surveys carried out by Focusmate, 93 percent of people who’ve used the service say that it helped their productivity. Even if those users are somewhat biased, that’s still a high figure—it’s at least worth trying out for free to see whether it helps with your particular way of working. It may sound like a bizarre solution at first, but it works better than you might think.

However, not everyone may be able to attend these meetings due to time zone differences or if they’re out sick or on vacation. Many companies have affiliate groups for people of color, women, or LGBTQ employees. They may have clubs for particular interests (like volunteering) or work-related committees that focus on specific projects or initiatives within the organization. This has taken a toll on workers, https://remotemode.net/ whose profound loneliness is evident not only in the data but the numerous self-reports emerging from media sources of all kinds. The remote work world seems to have taken not only our ability to communicate with colleagues but also our potential for fostering friendships. Planning a few in-person meetups after every month can help you fill this gap and have a healthier relationship with your colleagues.

Risk your heart in friendship.

The most important thing is to create an office where you’ll be comfortable and focused. Limit the distractions around you but also design a space you won’t dread going to every day. Even when working from home, it’s necessary to tune out coworkers sometimes. If you need to commit to a project for a little while, turn off chat and email notifications so you don’t find yourself scatterbrained.

That is to say, the best way to socialize might just be by involving others in your work-life balance. You should firmly believe that you’re the biggest advocate of your own happiness and urge to make friends. So even if you’ve suffered from burnout or loneliness, make yourself the harbinger of good things to come. If you don’t have any kids or aren’t planning to, the same idea works for your pets.

First, Commit to Being More Social IRL

Whether you’re a super busy entrepreneur or feel shy and introverted, social connections and community are crucial to your well-being. Working from home can no longer be your go-to excuse for not going out on the weekends. While it may be harder to meet new people and make new friends if you work from home, it is not impossible. We would recommend agreeing ahead of time how much time you’re going to spend working together, and how much interaction there’s going to be—find something that works for you. Focusmate advises people to keep the small talk down to a minimum, but then again, they are putting strangers together, and you might prefer a different set of rules. “Plan ahead to make your in-office days coincide with when other people are there that you need to interact with or want to interact with,” she says.