Working from Home Can Be Lonely
Branching off from your regular 9 to 5 and becoming your own boss is one of the most exhilarating feelings in the world. No more dealing with day in and day out office drama, no more rushing through morning routines and best of all, no more long commutes. You’ve finally reached the point in your career where you can say you’ve done something big. Even if you don’t want to say it yourself, I’ll say it for you. Starting your own business and being your own boss is BIG.
It makes you feel even better when friends, former co-workers, and family members try to pick your brain and figure out how you did it. You may not want to give them a rundown of your game plan, but you know it feels good (wink).
Who doesn’t want to make their own hours, not have to attend meetings all day and deal with annoying co-workers and bosses? But if we’re going to be completely honest, there are things we don’t always tell people about our BIG transition. Often, we allow them to rave on about the fact that we can work from home with no interruptions because to them it seems like the most glamorous thing in the world. However, for many entrepreneurs, the freedom of working in isolation can be tough.
The Downside of Working in Isolation
Because of the internet, more people are working from home than ever before. Companies are allowing many of their employees to work from home because it just makes sense for their bottom line and more people are ditching 9 to 5 jobs to start businesses that only require a laptop and internet access.
Now that this new way of working has been a thing for a while, we are privy to data that tells us how it has been affecting people over the years. Countless studies have been done alerting people of the potential downsides of working in isolation.
Some include:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Inflammation
- Weakened immune system
- Heart/Circulatory problems
Of course, these findings are scary, but they don’t have to become your reality. Numerous people have been able to find a happy work/life balance while working in isolation.
How to Deal with Working in Isolation
The downsides mentioned above mostly stem from loneliness. When you first start working for yourself it is comfortable and there is a sense of peace and serenity. But if proper measures aren’t taken, you’ll start missing those little chit chats you use to have at the water cooler, those fun company functions and before you know it your social circle is nonexistent. This happens quite often because as entrepreneurs, we get so engulfed in our work that we tend to block the outside world in efforts to grow and sustain our business.
Change of Scenery
To combat the feeling of loneliness, studies have shown that one of the first things we can do is make sure that we have an anti-depression work area. Certain wall colors like white, beige and gray can cause us to feel down. By simply painting your walls a more vibrant color or adding pictures that have a pop of color, you can boost your mood throughout the day.
Coffee Shops
Some entrepreneurs/freelancers find that working outside of their homes from time to time is very beneficial. Frequenting coffee shops is a great way to not only get out of the house, but it allows you to be around other people, people that may be there for the same reason you are.
Shared Workspaces
Recently shared workspaces have become extremely popular. Similar to the coffee shops, they are filled with people like you, people that want to be independent but enjoy the company of others. Many of the shared workspaces have events so that participants can network with each other and create an environment that they’re familiar with.
Dogs
One of the things that leads to health problems when working in isolation is inactivity. Entrepreneurs work longer hours than most people and it’s easy for them to lose track of time. They end up sitting and staring at a computer monitor for hours. Things like going outside or simply moving around become secondary. By becoming a dog owner, it’ll force you to have to stick to a schedule and become active. You’ll have to take your little four-legged friend outside throughout the day (which is good for you) so that he or she can get a little exercise and take care of business.
An added bonus of having a dog is companionship. I don’t know if you’ve heard but dogs are the best listeners. Whenever you’re feeling down or just want to get something off your chest, they’ll be there for you and the best thing about dogs is that you don’t have to worry about them telling anyone what was said.