The very convenience that attracted you to a work-at-home job in the first place can begin to seem like a trap if you feel lonely.
If you do feel alone in your work-from-home job, you're not the only one. Recently, Web Worker Daily discussed the growing trend of informal work arrangements and even work centers that the self-employed can drive to in order to combat feelings of isolation.
At creativepublic.com Elena Fawkner has a great list of tips for overcoming feelings of isolation. Over at the ChristianWAHM-Blog they've listed even more suggestions for combatting loneliness. I've personally used many of these techniques myself and they do work.The Internet can also help combat loneliness. Here are five quick ways that you can reach out and touch someone through the World Wide Web:
- E-mail a personal friend. We tend to forget that E-mail is not just for business communication. You can use it to communicate with family members and friends who don't live locally. You can also use it to stay in touch with former coworkers.
- Exchange IM addresses with another home-based worker. If you use instant messaging (IM) you may be able to use IM to "visit" with another work-at-home parent once in a while during your workday. Sometimes this added little bit of encouragement is just what you need.
- Participate in message board and forum discussions. Chances are, there is a message board centered around the type of work that you do from home. Find it and get involved. Don't just read the messages, answer questions and share ideas.
- Share about your day through blogging. With sites like WordPress and Blogger you can build your own blog with no initial cost. Many work-at-home moms use blogging as an outlet to share their successes and challenges.
- Use Social Media wisely. Social media is not just for networking, it's also for, well, being social. You can use social media to find other work-at-home moms with similar interests. Some social media, such as Babblz, Sk*rt, and blogher are designed specifically for women.
Leave a comment and let us know.
Yes! I spend the majority of my day with only a one-year-old for company. She's a doll, but not much of one for conversation yet. And to make matters worse, my husband and I have fallen into the trap of letting our work invade our "at home" time to the point where we only see our friends once in a blue moon.
Thus far, I've been surviving on emails to and from relatives and a couple of other local writers. I have about three forums and two or three blogs I visit as well as my own. However, that still leaves a major lack in face to face interaction with folks outside the family. My husband and I have finally decided to take a proactive approach and take the first step toward getting a (hopefully) monthly game night started with four or five couples we know.
Posted by: A. B. | September 15, 2007 8:28 PM | Permalink to Comment