Home Alone: How To Battle Work-At-Home Isolation

A couple of weeks ago I was having lunch with some friends and it was so nice. We talked, we laughed, we ate and we sipped on coffee. It dawned on me that it had been weeks since I left my home office during the day, other than to run errands or take my daughter to her classes. Working at home has many benefits, but one of the downfalls is the social isolation. In fact, I didn’t even realize how much I missed the day-to-day social interaction until it was right there in front of me. Self care, which includes connecting with others, is important for you and your business. It invigorates, stimulates and nourishes you. And when you’re feeling your best (mentally, physically and emotionally) your business will be at its best, too. Here are some tips on how to battle work at home isolation: 

Scheduling & Planning:

• You schedule time to work on business activities, you should also schedule time for family, friends and down time for yourself – for more tips on this, see: 5 Ways to Make Your Weekend More Spacious.
• Plan a weekly or bi-weekly lunch date with a colleague, friend or a new acquaintance.
• As entrepreneurs we LOVE what we do, but sometimes we need to cut back on business activities and hours and focus on building and cultivating our interpersonal relationships.
• Instead or corresponding through email, try setting up a video chat with a program like Skype.

Online Interaction:

• Join a few social networks, Facebook and Twitter are great places to start and can act as your virtual water cooler during the day. [TMM Note: We started a Facebook group for mompreneurs to help. Join us!
• If you have a blog interact with your readers through comments and email.
• Participate in some Twitter chats/parties. These are usually an hour in length and contain like –minded people talking about a specific subject.
• Sign up for webinars and teleconferences, not only will you be interacting with others, but you’ll learn something new.

Face to Face Time:

• Get involved with a local networking or business group.
• Seek out new hobbies and interest, examples: yoga class, cooking class, dance lessons, book club.
• Attend conferences and major events.
• Take that online relationship to the next level by arranging to meet face to face.

  Once you start nourishing yourself and your social well-being, you will notice dramatic and positive changes in your mood, attitude, and business.  

How do you cope with the social isolation of working at home?