So even if you’ve suffered from burnout or loneliness, make yourself the harbinger of good things to come. Nothing says that you need to go out into the real world necessarily to learn how to make friends when you work from home. Sometimes, it’s the easiest and most obvious things that work better than others. Even if it gets you out of the house, it’s a step in the right direction. I’ve been seeing a lot of posts where some of us are having trouble building friendships outside of work when WFH. I myself have struggled and continue to do so due to living in rural America.
In real life or online, friendships are rarely built in a day. If that first virtual coffee goes well, consider planning another. If that goes well, consider making monthly coffee chats a regular calendar item. We recognize that socializing with colleagues can make you feel connected and motivated to work towards a common goal. In fact, fostering meaningful connections and friendships is also essential for well-being and mental health. But do you know how to have a social life when you work from home?
Q4 2024 State of Remote Work: 10 Best…
The main how to make friends when you work from home secret of coworking is the great chance to work in a relaxed atmosphere, doing whatever you want and love. You can also drink coffee, grab a snack, and chat in a relaxed atmosphere during a break while discussing interests or everyday problems. This space is adapted specifically for freelancers and people who work from home. Understanding each other’s interests will expand the circle of friends immediately. Make an appointment in a crowded, trusted place to organize the most favorable environment for a joint holiday.
Making new friends is not as straightforward or easy as it looks in 90s movies. Being an adult in today’s world comes with its own set of complications. Not only do Millennials and Gen Z (Zennials) have to find and make friends, but they also have to deal with the added pressure of social media and maintaining an online persona. Many different circumstances lead us to want to find and build new friendships. Moving to a new city or country, a big break-up, or as is common in the last couple of years, switching to remote work. Any of these are bound to make us feel the need to get out there and make new friends.
As you discovered, several ways exist to address isolation when working from home. Remember, building a friendship requires time and effort, so be patient and persistent. Feel free to put yourself out there, start conversations, and participate actively in various activities. Since we live in a digital age, many volunteer initiatives and fundraising events have moved online. This enables remote workers such as yourself to offer your time and skills and get involved in activities from the comfort of your own home. 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.
How to Make Work Friends When You Work Remotely
Lonely employees, in contrast, are less productive and more likely to leave their jobs. I teach English in Madrid, and I have a degree in English Literature and Psychology. And my passion is helping ambitious, creative millennials achieve everything they want in life, career and relationships.
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They can provide comfort and support in stressful situations and they can also help uplevel our careers. “Our work relationships are unlike any others,” says Lauren Cook, a California-based therapist and career coach. Up to 80% of jobs get filled through personal professional connections. Here’s how to make sure you are nurturing these critical relationships.
CONNECT
Begin working now if you want to discover some acquaintances and adventures. You don’t need to start communicating with people during training – it is better to devote this time to self-care and your well-being. Work from home is a great opportunity to take better care of yourself, lead a healthy lifestyle and improve your diet. You don’t have to spend extra time traveling by public transport and eventually getting late to your workspace. 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.
- This space is adapted specifically for freelancers and people who work from home.
- Make the time to ask people how they’re doing and be open to talking about more than work.
- Luckily, there are multiple ways to build genuine friendships when working, even when you only commute to the coffee machine.
You don’t need to be a sports fanatic to get some exercise and meet new people at sporting events. 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. Even these small experiments will improve your skills and increase your level of socialization when you work from home. You don’t have to go through it all alone – you can always take a friend’s help if you’re scared of meeting people on your own. Having a friend at work is a great way to strengthen your mental health, and even boost productivity. All of these are becoming increasingly essential in the age of working from home.
- They can provide comfort and support in stressful situations and they can also help uplevel our careers.
- If that goes well, consider making monthly coffee chats a regular calendar item.
- Because we had some extra, meaningful interaction about a particular issue, they explicitly solicited my advice during the next group meeting.
- Instead, go to the museum or happy hour or have your co-worker over for dinner.
- Making friends at work is all about replicating some of the things that used to serve us in our work lives within this new paradigm.
Remote Happy Hours
Give them their space, and consider connecting with colleagues who are more public and open to interacting on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and beyond. That colleague who’s always sharing recipes and photos of the gorgeous meals they make on their personal blog will probably appreciate your likes and comments on their posts. Make the time to ask people how they’re doing and be open to talking about more than work. Ask about their favorite hobbies or for a book, podcast, movie, or TV recommendation. (Taking them up on their rec might provide fodder for your next chat and it can also help you build and deepen the relationship.) If you’re struggling to come up with the right words, ask your new colleague to tell you more about their role or their team.
As Patricia starts a new role remotely, we revisit some key tips on how to make friends at work while remote! To make friends with your colleagues, you’re going to need to let your guard down a little bit. You don’t need to share deep secrets, but you should try to make interactions about more than just work. If you’re a manager, for example, your direct reports may not feel comfortable connecting with you on social media. And some people intentionally keep their networks on social platforms small—or separate from their professional life.
This is likely because when we only focus on work, we don’t reveal anything about ourselves. Let’s face it, it’s harder to make good connections on distributed teams. Working from home has become the new normal for many of us, but one thing we might miss from the office is the social aspect.
If you already have some experience, you can quickly find like-minded people by establishing close communication and friendship. Chat with different people, as someone new comes here every day in coworking spaces. Perhaps there, you will make friends and even future business partners to create your start-up when you work from home.
Look for opportunities to meet up in-person, or online, that give you a chance to develop the friendship. A dinner, a virtual coffee, a walk and talk, or a post-work drink — all get you both out of the work headspace. Compliments make people feel confident and you never know when someone could use a little boost. You should offer genuine compliments to people whenever you can.
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