Due to the current worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, more and more employees are finding themselves working from home. However, while working from home certainly has a lot of perks, like being able to wear your comfortable clothes, have constant access to your kitchen, and save money on the cost of commuting to the office, there are also some downsides to consider. For many people who live alone and are now working from home, there’s no denying that it can be quite an isolating and lonely experience. You know that working from home is the safest option right now due to the coronavirus, but if working from home is leaving you feeling awful, take action as soon as you can. Here are some ways to beat feelings of isolation while working from home.
Create a Welcoming Work Space
While you’ll still be working from home no matter how nice your work area is, you will feel much more productive and uplifted if you have a cheerful, well-organized workspace to enjoy. Set aside some space in your home, whether it’s a spare bedroom or a corner of your kitchen, to become your office and design it so that it’s comfortable for you to work in. Set up your webcam so that you can easily socialize by video calling colleagues or friends and have a speaker that you can use to listen to music or shows like Bigo and Zynn as you work.
Get Up Early
Many people who WFH take the opportunity to sleep in, but doing this doesn’t always mean that you are getting the best start to your day. If you often find yourself rolling out of bed and going straight to your desk without enough time to even have a shower before you get started with your working day, it is worth considering getting up a little earlier so that you can enjoy some time to yourself in the mornings. An hour or so in the morning to eat a healthy breakfast and spend some time exercising, reading, or doing something else that you enjoy will help you start your work-from-home day feeling much more refreshed.
Keep in Touch with Colleagues
When you were working in the office, chances are that you spoke to work colleagues on a regular basis. But now that you are no longer sitting at desks next to each other or taking your lunch breaks together, it becomes all too easy to lose touch. Thankfully, staying in touch with colleagues doesn’t have to be difficult when you are working from home. A WhatsApp group can be set up so that you can chat throughout the working day just as you would if you were working together in-person and you could even have your lunch breaks on Zoom so it feels like you’re all still together. Workmates can often be some of your best friends, so make sure that you don’t lose this while working from home.
Get Out When You Can
Working from home often feels isolating because suddenly, you are stuck in your house or apartment all day, every day. And while the current pandemic has made it harder for people to go out and socialize with friends, there are some things that you can do safely that you should consider. Even going for a physically distanced walk in a local park with your friend can be a great way to get out of the house and avoid getting stuck in feelings of isolation and loneliness. It has never been more important to try and keep up your social life, even if you have to make adjustments to the way that you meet.
With more people than ever before working from home, the feelings of isolation can be hard to shake. Keep these tips in mind to make WFH less lonely and more productive.
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