Social interaction – why you need it and where to find it!
Without a doubt, one of the first things you learn when you move from working in an office to working from home is that it’s a lonely life. If you’re used to the buzz of an office it can be hard to adjust to a new, solitary working day. Without regular periods of human interaction, depression can creep in and home workers often find they end up completely demotivated.
A 20-year study published in May 2011 by Tel Aviv University found that office workers with weak social interactions had a significantly higher mortality rate than those with stronger social ties. Also low levels of social engagement have been linked to dementia in later life.
It is easy as a home worker to let yourself slip into the life of a recluse and accept loneliness as a consequence of your lifestyle choice, but it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, getting out and socialising will improve your mental health and do wonders for your business too! Here are some ideas on how to boost your social life.
- If you think you are too busy working to have a social life then you’re just going to have to fit it in somewhere. Making time for friends and family is just as important to your success as the other things on your ‘to do’ list, so schedule it into your working week. Go out for dinner, or perhaps join working friends for lunch once a month. If there are friends who you only ever seem to converse with via email, try picking up the phone every now and then to have a proper catch up with a familiar voice.
- If you really think you can’t spend the time away from work then local business and networking groups are a guilt free way to socialise. They are a great way to meet like-minded people from the same, and different, industries so you can exchange ideas and hopefully get some new clients in the process. The Chamber of Commerce is a good starting point for finding networking events near you. To find details of your local Chamber visit www.britishchambers.org.uk.
- Hobbies and interests always have good scope for social interaction. Join the gym, a local sports team, knitting group, book club, or sign up for an evening class to meet like-minded people. Learning a new language or taking a computing course will also give you an extra skill for your business.
- If you are looking to widen your contacts across the country, then attending conferences or seminars in your field of expertise are a great way to achieve this.
- As a freelancing mum you are probably already in the very fortunate position of having a ready-made network of interesting women. I’ve found that children can also be great ice-breakers!
- If you have some time to spare and want to do something worthwhile in the pursuit of social interaction, why not volunteer with a charity? Charities are crying out for help and you could spend just a couple of hours a week doing something different and meeting new people. It also looks great on your CV!
- Co-working or office sharing is a great way to get that workplace camaraderie and banter back without having to resort to getting a ‘proper’ job. You could advertise for local home workers who may like to share an office, or perhaps you already know some freelancers who would make great co-workers?
If office sharing is not possible or not for you, it can break the solitude of the day to work for an hour or two in a local café. Many have free Wi-Fi these days and for the price of a couple of cups of coffee you can work uninterrupted while enjoying the bustle of human life around you. Sometimes you don’t even have to talk to people – it’s just nice to know they’re there!
