5 Ways to Socialize When You Work from Home
The result isn’t just a lack of friends at work, but also an absence of empathy toward our colleagues. We tend to give each other more grace when we’ve spent time together and we are open about our personal lives and the challenges we face, Keswin says. Those are three steps to help you get out there and start meeting more people.
Obviously, the client meeting I’m attending is important but I think that time with coworkers is equally as important to my success as an employee. It might seem strange to strike up a conversation when you’re working out, but sweat working has proved to be a legit way to make business contacts and meet new friends. Even if it’s just for a quick chat in the kitchen or at someone’s desk, make sure to do this effort. That is why it is so important to start a more active social life. Follow these simple tips below on how to make friends when you work from home to reach your goal. The key is to find common ground and nurture those connections.
Come early to virtual meetings and stay late
It is necessary to leave the comfort zone, pass all new tests to gain confidence in yourself and your abilities. Try to make friends when you work from home, communicate with people constantly. Sooner or later, you will make your way to avoid loneliness by working remotely every day. Another interesting opportunity to make friends when you work from home is to join an interest group. You can join a book club, take up painting, attend a cooking class with your neighbors, or do other activities that you want.
Ironically, social media can feel little isolating at its worst, but at it’s best, it’s a powerful way to bring people together. Share an article you think they’ll enjoy, or, if you’ve been trading Twitter headlines for years, invite them to a book signing you’d both appreciate. That’s hard to recreate in a video chat, but making those connections isn’t impossible. Set your view to gallery mode, and watch your fellow team members. Let’s say you heard a coworker Megan mention in the all-staff meeting that she was late because she was putting her kindergarten son on the school bus for the first time. After the meeting, send her a message telling her you know exactly how that feels – you just dropped your three-year-old off at her first day of daycare.
Tools like Loom or smartphone recordings can add a personal touch to your communications and help co-workers feel more connected to you. If you’re working from home and finding it harder to stay connected to your colleagues, or even to your sense of purpose at work, you’re not alone. One in five employees worldwide says they felt lonely “a lot” the previous day, according to Gallup’s 2024 State of the Global Workplace report. For remote and hybrid professionals, the risk is even higher.
If you would generally “run-into” someone at a particular event, set a reminder on your phone to try to schedule a call with them around that date and time, Cummings recommends. Some offices may have rules about your background, but if yours allows for some personalization, consider that. Pizzica has had plenty of conversations with fellow team members that started because of something she or they noticed about their background.
Again, it’s just the act of going that can lead to social interactions and help you learn how to make friends when you work from home. Propose quarterly team meetings, annual company retreats or regional meetups. When you’re in the office (if you work in a hybrid arrangement), make an effort to include remote colleagues in informal conversations and social activities.
Sign up for our newsletter and never miss out!
I did B-School a few years back, and really appreciate you and your team.” We appreciate you. “In business, I’m comfortable being vulnerable online, but I realized that I’m not at all comfortable talking to people in person about what I do. I’ve recently moved to New York City, and there’s no shortage of humans.
With a little effort, you can easily find ways to connect with new people and expand your social life without being a social butterfly. One of the very first things you should focus on is being open-minded. This gives people a chance to be themselves first before passing judgement. It’s very easy to judge people based on their looks or the limited pieces of information we may know about them such as their job title or the company they work for. Put all of your assumptions and preconceived notions aside, otherwise, you’ll be sabotaging yourself and not giving yourself or the other person a fair chance of developing a potential friendship.
- One way I make sure I talk to my coworkers is to call them instead of IM for quick questions.
- Many remote workers report that struggling to disconnect at the end of the workday is their biggest challenge.
- Recent research from Glassdoor suggests that people are now less interested in making friends at work.
- Meet-and-greet video calls are especially helpful if you’re new to a job or to a team.
- Indeed, the national office vacancy rate was 18.2% in November 2023, according to real estate software firm Commercial Edge.
Remote Workers
In some ways, making friends virtually isn’t that different from online dating in that everyone seems to be waiting for someone else to make the first move. What that means is that, just like on Tinder, nothing happens and therefore nothing keeps happening. Even if making the first move feels kind of awkward, try to remember that it will probably feel really nice for the other party if you do. “Most people are flattered when a colleague wants to get to know them better, Cook says. Or, Cummings recommends, you can try something that introduces some of the accidental nature of water cooler conversations back into your virtual world.
Resume assessments and writing, LinkedIn profile enhancement, and cover letter writing are available to maximize the success of your remote job applications. Discounts on all services available to subscription members, become one now. Although children are a handful and can take up a ton of your time, they’re a great way for you to meet other parents. Whether you’re going to a scheduled mass play date or attending your kid’s sporting events, you can chat with other parents.
If you are looking for friends while working from home, it may be ideal to find friends that live near you, however, don’t let this be a deal breaker for you. Proximity means it’s possible to plan spontaneous meetups more frequently than if your future friend lived across the other side of the country. Try to organise regular monthly catch-ups in person or over video chat. During the times you’re limited to video chats, to make things more fun, you could get creative and incorporate some of your common interests.
- Because we had some extra, meaningful interaction about a particular issue, they explicitly solicited my advice during the next group meeting.
- Working from home can be a great way to get things done without the distractions of a traditional office, but it can also be a bit isolating.
- The key is to find common ground and nurture those connections.
- At the very least, you have something in common as an icebreaker.
More in Teamwork
For many managers, a large part of the job is developing camaraderie even as teams are more distributed and working together in person less often. This is another no-brainer until you stretch your comfort zone a bit and take it outside of your own work industry. I know plenty of finance folks, so I’m not trolling the American Banker’s Association to meet new friends. Instead, I try to find out where culinary professionals are gathering and learning about their craft. You don’t have to be in a big city or shell out a lot of cash to benefit from co-working.
The league will put you on one, giving you the unique opportunity to meet people with different backgrounds and interests. Just because there’s no seltzer dispenser to gossip around, no cafeteria to gather in, or no office to go to, doesn’t mean you can’t make friends with your colleagues. There are lots of things you can do to get to know them whether they’re a county, a country, or an ocean away. Work from home is a great opportunity to take better care of yourself, lead a healthy lifestyle and improve your diet.
Why Choose Real Estate Investments for Retirement Income?
Truly, jumping back into a social life after so many months of lockdown can be jarring, and everyone’s taking it at their own pace. A chat messaging service is your go-to medium for remote work friendships. This option allows you the benefits of socialization without ever having to leave your house…or your cat! Sometimes in our immediate circle, friends or family might not understand the struggles of freelancing or working from home. In this case, it can really be beneficial to find an online community to make friends who have common interests, challenges, and goals.
And I want you to notice something – none of what I shared addresses what you do, and that is on purpose. Because here’s what I’ve found, when you focus on making genuine connections with other humans, the “what you do part,” that tends to unfold naturally when the time is right. And you’re gonna wind up describing your work in the context of the human that’s in front of you. And, most important, it’ll be fresh and it won’t be formulic. Whether you’re a super busy entrepreneur or feel shy and introverted, social connections and community are crucial to your well-being.
We provide access to remote positions in various industries and multiple cities, giving our clients suitable options. We are a leading choice for individuals seeking both professional growth and a sense of belonging in the virtual workspace. And so when I talk with CEOs, for example, they’re really worried that we’re losing the water cooler and the spontaneous how to make friends when you work from home interactions that were great for bonding but also for generating new ideas. Recent research from Glassdoor suggests that people are now less interested in making friends at work. Having good friends or even a best friend at work has long been believed to be a retention driver.
