Working from home full-time has its advantages, that’s for certain. You can set your own hours, wear what you want, and earn as much money as you wish each day. What you’re lacking are the social aspects you get in an office environment.
Why are social activities so important?
When you work from home alone all day with no social activities, you may start to get lonely and even depressed. This could lead to you giving up an otherwise fulfilling lifestyle because you miss the sociability you had back at your office.
It doesn’t have to be this way. By balancing your full-time work-at-home schedule with social activities, you can plug the social gaps in your life. Read on, as we’ll tell you exactly how to do it.
See also: Working from Home Is Depressing Me
Why Are Social Activities So Important When Working from Home Full-Time?
While there’s no doubting the data-backed boost in productivity we all enjoy from working from home, not everyone is built for the lifestyle. I don’t mean that in an offensive way, but, according to a 2018 Huffington
- Anxiety from feeling the need to be better than peers
- Guilt for being able to work from home when a spouse, parent, or friends cannot
- Stress from overworking
- Pressure from feeling the need to be overly available
- Isolation from days of silent solitude
- Depression from prolonged lack of daily social contact
- A sense of being overwhelmed from making the leap from an office to working from home
Not everyone will go through these emotions, admittedly. Chicago clinical psychologist Ryan Hooper told HuffPo that “the flexibility and independence can be wonderfully freeing for some people,” just not all.
If you find that you feel lonely and even a little sad during your remote workday, you’re far from alone. In a 2017 study published in Harvard Business Review, 1,153 employees who work from home were surveyed. Not all worked from home exclusively, as 52 percent did only sometimes.
In the study, HBR also spoke with on-site employees. They then asked both employee groups several questions and tracked the responses. More remote employees felt that their colleagues were lobbying against them, but many onsite workers felt similarly.
Remote employees reported that they felt their coworkers were changing projects without prior consent, that they were being talked about behind their backs, and that their priorities weren’t being focused on. For all three responses, onsite employees had lower instances of feeling the same way.
This proves that there’s definitely an aspect of isolation when it comes to working from home. Social activities both personal and professional in nature can offset these negative feelings. That makes your work-from-home lifestyle more fulfilling.
13 Ways to Incorporate Social Activities into Your Schedule
There are many ways to incorporate social activities into your daily schedule, both professionally and personally. Not every single method we suggest may work for you, but at the very least, they are great ideas to try.
Professionally
Pick up the Phone
Chances are, 90 percent of your communications with your boss and coworkers are done via email, right? Instead of always shooting messages back and forth, why not pick up the phone every once in a while and call? You can tell your boss or employees to feel free to call you, too.
Sure, a phone call disrupts your workday a bit, but it’s good to talk to someone else besides yourself.
Use Video Chat
Today’s technology makes it easier than ever to keep in touch with your boss and colleagues. You can be part of meetings, brainstorm sessions, and any other professional gatherings by using video chat. You can also use this for one-on-one purposes.
Being able to see and hear a person via video chat is almost like being in the same room talking to them.
Keep in Touch with Apps
From Skype (which is great for video chat, too!) to Asana and Slack, there are plenty of apps designed to bring employees together via digital means. Sure, you’re not actually talking to anyone, but real-time messaging feels more like a conversation than receiving emails does.
Personally
Have Breakfast with the Family
Wake up a little earlier if you must to spend time with your family as they get ready for their respective days. You’ll start your own day off on the right foot, with a smile on your face and fewer feelings of isolation. That might help you get through the day more easily.
Drop off or Pick up the Kids from School
If you have children, make some room in your schedule to drop them off or pick them up from school. Getting out of the house is always good for those who work from home, plus your kids will love being chauffeured instead of having to ride the bus.
Schedule Lunch Dates
Most employees in office environments have a lunch hour. Whether it’s a spouse, a family member, or a friend, every month (or more often if you can!) schedule a lunch out somewhere. Again, this gets you out of the house and gives you a chance to enjoy some rewarding conversation.
Ask a Spouse or Family Member to Have Lunch at Home
If everyone you know is too busy for lunches out, then have lunch at home. Ask your spouse or family member to come by for their lunch hour and dine with you for a few minutes. This combined with family breakfasts makes the quieter hours of your day easier to get through.
Grab a Snack
Whether you buy a refreshing coffee or something from the local convenience store, being out among people gives you the chance to have small conversations. This is a good option if everyone else in your life is unavailable for chatting during the day.
Call Someone
Make someone’s day a little brighter with a surprise phone call. They’ll appreciate the special attention and you’ll get a chance to hear your own voice aloud.
Have Dinner with the Family
As the day winds to a close, make sure you’re not working so late that you miss family dinner. If you absolutely can’t make it, then at least prioritize breakfast. Spending some time with your family gives you something to look forward and is a nice way to start or end the day.
Be Social on Weekends
Although you can’t cram all your social needs into two days, seeing friends and family on the weekends can make up for a week in which you didn’t really talk to anyone.
Volunteer
Volunteering not only gives you an immense feeling of satisfaction while boosting your sociability, but it gives back to others, too! You never know, you could just make a new friend or two when you volunteer.
Join a Club
You can also join a club if you have the time for it. Whether the club has biweekly or monthly meetings, being a part of a group can alleviate the loneliness and isolation you may feel working from home all day.
Related Questions
When are depression and anxiety serious?
It’s normal to feel some anxiety from the stress of working from home. You might also be anxious as you first adjust to this schedule. Likewise, it’s normal to feel a little sad and isolated from being alone all day.
If you can barely get out of bed every day, you don’t enjoy your hobbies or interests anymore, and you’re consistently deeply sad, you may have a more serious case of depression. If these symptoms are accompanied by exhaustion, insomnia, and appetite changes, you should see a psychologist or mental health practitioner. You may feel some guilt and worthlessness with your new work-from-home job at first, but these feelings too should fade. If they don’t, they could be another sign of depression.
Anxiety disorder includes symptoms like concentration issues, sleeplessness from stress, irritability, and excessive nervousness. If anxiety is taking over your life, you should again receive help from a mental health practitioner.
How do I achieve a work/life balance when working from home full-time?
You probably began working from home to enjoy a greater work/life balance. Now that you spend less time commuting and engaging in watercooler jabber, you can be more productive.
It can be a little too easy to take on too many tasks and responsibilities because, as mentioned earlier in this article, you might feel like you have something to prove. Before you know it, you’re working late into the night and maybe even on weekends. The work/life balance you so desired is gone.
Since you can’t really leave your work at the office, you must have clear guidelines. Work in a part of the home you don’t use for recreation. Set hours and stick to them to the best of your abilities. After working hours are over, only use your computer for fun if you use it at all. Stop checking emails and wait to respond to them until the following day.