Does Home Office Make You Lonely? 10 Tips On How To Overcome It.
A new study from Europe shows that working in a home office really can make you lonely. We will explain why and give 10 tips on how to counteracts loneliness in your home office.
Over half of the companies in Austria for example, are one-person companies. And the majority of them operate in their own home, the home office. The direct route to solitude, experts now warn.
Wonderful! Get up early in the morning, make coffee and knot before your laptop straight away in your running suit.
Please! Who needs a costly office when you’ve got a home office? Because: That is how a real work-life-balance works and I will design a workplace just the way I like it.
For nearly all the 307,883 one-person companies currently enrolled in Austria, exactly this sort of contemporary office is a reality.
It’s said that 65% work from the couch, so to speak. These – simply known as EPU – business bosses prefer to work directly from home, not just for cost reasons.
Additionally, it has tax advantages for them, which can be especially relevant for mini-companies.
Home Office Worker – A lonely society
But above all it seems so wonderfully cuddly. But looks are deceptive: working in a home office is often not just moderately effective, but it makes you ill!
International experts have come to this surprising conclusion.
But first things first. The issue starts in everyday life as it is now: from the beginning, less social than previously. People are barely ever active outside their homes anymore.
Additionally, we live alone a lot more frequently – and that mostly in anonymous cities. “People are currently working in ever greater isolation. This is a missed opportunity to socialize with one another,” says Dhruv Khullar, a physician at Massachusetts General Hospital. He’s been exploring the effects of social isolation and isolation for many years.
His conclusion: The home office alienates more. “I think that over time, we’ll experience negative effects of working at home, working independently, electronic work, on people’s health,” he notes with concern.
Among the biggest risks of working in the home, however, is cabin fever. Since there’s hardly any chance of spontaneous communication – yes, we aren’t counting the chat functions of social and smartphones media in the moment – that threatens to catch up on us, latest with the first really intricate work project we have to masker on our own.
You’re mostly left on your own, and at times that simply is not enough.
The great US author Charles Bukowski once put down this fact on paper in a particularly smug way.
“But as you can not consistently write, there were large gaps to fill. I stuffed them with Scotch, beer, ale and girls. With the girls I was unlucky a lot of the time, and the result was that I focused strongly on drinking.” (Charles Bukowski)
Isolation Causes Billions In Damage
Though this destructive pattern of behaviour doesn’t necessarily adhere to the principle, the British government has just addressed the costs of functioning in isolation to the market, which have been estimated at an unbelievable $3.1 billion each year.
But that is not all: A meta-analysis recently published in the journal “Perspectives on Psychological Science” describes a series of studies on this topic.
Conclusion: Social isolation increases the risk of death by 29%. And those who isolate themselves in their working environment are, according to experts, heading in a dangerous direction.
However, one thing should not be forgotten with these terror situations:
For lots of people, the choice of a house office – regardless of if they are self-employed or permitted by their employer – means that they now finally have the opportunity to begin a family.
Sociologists understand that working in a home office now allow a lot more couples to share childcare.
Nevertheless, the Viennese industrial psychologist Christina Beran warns:
“Anyone who likes to put off tasks should think twice about working at home.” (Christina Beran)
No matter whether he would like to have children, or just want to enjoy more peace and quietness at work.
The 3 largest home office traps – and how to escape them
If you follow this advice, you can create heaven on earth in your home office!
1. Dealing with Loneliness
Is it also logical: work colleagues to get a fast coffee? Nothing. A sudden fire alarm including employees evacuation? False alarm.
But in case you still don’t wish to swap your house office for the upcoming co-working area, then you should place yourself distinct working hours.
This means that you consciously give yourself a break. And in such breaks you can either have lunch with somebody, make a telephone call or go for a walk.
It’s also a good idea to spread business appointments well during the week, so there is always a little bit of action.
2. Overcome Laziness
Nowhere else do people like to procrastinate than in their own home. Unfortunately, this applies not just to private matters, but also to professional ones.
No wonder, because the sofa and tv are constantly in the immediate area. Even cleaning the kitchen becomes more tempting than the job itself.
The best way to overcome this tendency is to set modest goals that will need to be achieved through the day.
And: A master aim that has to be checked off in the end of this home office week!
3. Avoid Overexertion
It’s not only laziness that could creep in! Often the precise reverse comes in right at the door – and you even become a workoholic.
As there’s always something to do, you can open your notebook while you’re having coffee and also answer your e-mails in bed.
But that is all, just not healthy.
Our suggestion: Create a locked room in your flat where you can work. A partition using a bookshelf or room divider is sufficient – the most important thing isn’t to work everywhere!
Here are 10 tips on how to conquer loneliness in your home office:
#1: Routine Skype calls and telephone calls with colleagues
Perhaps you also find it very pleasant at the start to eventually have your peace and quiet and to have the ability to work quietly and quietly on your little room on your notebook.
However, at a certain point, you will miss the absence of social interaction.
So keep in contact with your colleagues and arrange regular Skype meetings to keep them talking. Rather than writing your colleague a lengthy email, you can simply pick up the phone and explain on the phone for a change.
#2: Move out during the breaks
Regular breaks are significant – even when working from home! However, because you might need to devote these at home alone, now you can use them for some fresh air.
With just a little daylight, you will instantly feel a bit less like a quarantine zombie trapped in your own house. The oxygen also provides new motivation and greater productivity.
You miss the continuous, endlessly dull office background mumble? At home it’s suddenly spookily quiet?
Then music may be a fantastic solution for your problem. Although this idea isn’t acceptable for all of us, some people can actually concentrate better with music. It may also make you feel less lonely.
#4: Great planning
Plan your day so you don’t have the opportunity to feel lonely. How can that work?
Very easy: Structure your working hours ahead of time so you are always well utilized. This way you get in the workflow quicker, are incredibly productive and time flies.
To eat lunch alone is dumb! As you’re spooning your soup alone and left and longing for the lively canteen, one or another colleague probably feels the exact same way at precisely the identical moment.
Why not spend your lunch break together practically? Create a Skype lunch date with your coworkers. So everybody can sit in their own table and not be lonely.
#6: Make the office beautiful
Now that you must spend as much time in your home in your desk, it’s time to finally make it even more beautiful.
When you feel comfortable in your workplace, it elevates your general mood.
Put photos of your friends and family near your notebook so you always have them with you and feel less lonely. Design your home office so you could easily separate work from your spare time.
In case you’ve got the luxury of having another room for your workplace, you should definitely use it rather than working at the kitchen table.
#7: Hobbies and Sport
First the job, then the enjoyment. Be certain that you use the close of the day to do something you love. Too bad that almost all things which are fun are prohibited at the present time, right?
Get creative and think of strategies to pursue your hobbies from your home. You only have to see how good the Italians do it instead of becoming mouldy in your home, they move out on their balconies and perform music with the neighbors.
#8: Plan your after work hours
Meeting up with a few friends after work on your favourite pub is most likely not going to be possible for the upcoming few weeks.
But that does not mean that you can not see each other anyway. Just bring the bar to your dwelling.
Hold online meetings and discuss your newest experiences. At this time it’s incredibly great to have the ability to speak with your nearest and dearest.
You should also look after the people you live with. After all, these are the only people you likely get to see physically at this time.
Strategy game nights together, see a film or conjure up a tasty dinner together.
#9: Pets
Your little dog or cat sure loves to have you more at home right as well. And they also can give you a sense of nearness as well.
Who’s a pet feels so clearly less lonely. And cuddling the home tiger pops out happiness hormones, and that we can all use today.
#10: Stay Positive
The planet is in a state of crisis, new messages reach us none of us knows how the situation is developing. In such times it’s important to remain calm and focus on the positive things in life.
Every crisis also provides new opportunities, opportunities for development and change. If the loneliness of working in a house office grabs you, consider the benefits of working at home.
Could you perhaps sleep more because you save yourself the trip to work? Are you getting to know your colleagues in a different manner? If you dig deep enough, you’ll certainly find at least one positive thing to concentrate on.
For more information also see our article: WORKING FROM HOME CAN BE LONELY
Just the fact that you have the option to work at home is a happy circumstance.
This way you can continue to contribute to the market and make an important contribution to society. This is a thought which should motivate you.
Because yes, isolation can be awful and it can be very psychological. But if you keep the big picture in mind and show solidarity, you’ll feel a whole lot more connected to humanity generally.
And then the temporary isolation is unexpectedly not so bad anymore.
For more tips see the article: “WORKING FROM HOME CAN BE LONELY“.
