I live alone and only go into the office once per week currently.
I’m very familiar with the feeling of isolation that can come with working from home.
Over the years I’ve developed a few tricks to banish loneliness and keep my mind occupied on other things.
1) Go Into The Office
This is my number one thing to do when I’m feeling a bit lonely at home and need some face to face interaction.
I find the one day I do go in not only valuable from a work productivity standpoint, but also, I feel re-energised mentally after having caught up with friends in the office, gone out for lunch and shared a few laughs.
If you have an office to go to and you’re able too/not fully remote, try going in at least once per week and see how it impacts your mood.
2) Coworking Spaces
Alternatively, if you don’t have an office you can go to, co-working spaces are a great place to meet like minded people, or just be amongst others a bit more.
If they’re too costly or you fancy a different change of pace, local libraries and cafes are more widespread and offer some similar benefits.
If you’re not familiar with working out of home, make sure you take time to consider your remote work setup so that you’re prepared for the day.
3) Remote Work Communities
There are a number of remote work online communities you can join to speak to like minded people and those going through similar experiences.
Connecting with others who understand and can be empathetic towards your situation is a great remedy to loneliness.
4) Create A Routine
I went a couple of years without having a structured work from home routine.
As soon as I put one together my days felt more productive and rewarding than when I was aimlessly jumping from one random thing to the next.
Having structure and purpose in how we fill our hours goes a long way to focusing our minds on things other than what’s getting us down.
There’s a lot of trial and error in coming up with a routine that works for you, that you get the most out of. Finding that out and exploring new ideas is all part of the fun, though.
Weekly Work Planner
Take control of your work week with this simple to use planner
5) Avoid Too Much Social Media
It can be so addictive sometimes. I’ve spent hours before looking at nonsensical videos and X threads that they’ve sent my head into a spiral.
Apps like Instagram, where it appears like everyone’s having the time of their lives whilst you’re stuck indoors create a false narrative in our heads.
Try to limit social media if you are feeling lonely and take stock of your screen time to better help you manage how much time you spend on digital devices.
6) Connect With Colleagues
Even if you’re not going into the office you can still connect with a friend at work.
Reaching out on Slack for an informal chat or having a 20 minute Zoom call can reinvigorate your day.
You might even find that they feel a similar way. If you’re able to have an open conversation with them about how you’re feeling, you’ll probably find that you feel better afterwards.
7) Pursue Hobbies & Build Skills
This is another one of my favorites. I work on this blog and another in my free time. Writing copy, creating videos/imagery etc
Just occupying my mind with something I’m passionate about makes me forget about any potential sense of loneliness I might have had that day.
Learning a new skill or exploring a new hobby to pass some hours can be a useful remedy.
If you’re looking to make some additional income whilst doing so – take a look at some of these how to make money from home ideas to get started.
8) Exercise/Self-care
Another one of my best loneliness fixes is to get some exercise in.
This activity works in the same way as focusing on a hobby – by distracting my mind with something more productive.
It also gives me a dopamine hit every time so my mood is better and my mind gets focused on more positive things.
Here are some work from home exercise ideas to explore.
9 ) Listen To A Podcast
If you feel it’s a lack of social interaction you’re missing and you’re limited in resources, a podcast can simulate some aspects of thought similar to conversing with people.
Why not double down and explore some podcasts about dealing with loneliness to help tackle the issue from 2 sides.
10) Get A Pet
If you’re able to, a pet can be a great companion, no matter how small or big to help you combat loneliness.
We have a family cat that I see when I go home now and again, he’s a really affectionate chap that I’d steal and take home to keep me company if I could avoid incurring the wrath of his owners!
11) Reach Out To HR
If you’re really struggling with loneliness, you can always reach out to your HR department to see how they can help.
Employee wellbeing is part of their remit. They can provide a useful outlet and link you to resources as well as providing more in depth resolutions.
James Waite
Founder of Remoteopia, James has worked in remote roles for 6 years. After a stint in recruitment, he now works as a director of website strategy in tech.
