They told you the truth – working remotely can be highly rewarding and exciting. Remote work gives you the chance to work from anywhere, helps you avoid long hours in Lagos traffic, and even better, you get to spend less and save more.
However, that flexibility that comes with the package may seem perfect, until you realize that you haven’t stepped out of your apartment in 32 hours. While you are busy locking in and hitting the bag from the comfort of your home, one of the major challenges that you may have is slipping into social isolation.
Hence, you must become more intentional about maintaining physical relationships and building meaningful human connections. This article shows you six practical steps to help you keep an active social life and overcome isolation as a remote worker.
Fix Your Daily Routine
As a remote worker, a common habit you can relate to is falling into an endless cycle of just waking up, eating and practically living in your workspace. The implication is that you have no structure for your life, and you will keep getting lost in work, here’s why a daily routine is important. Begin your day with physical and engaging and create a work schedule that helps you include one or two virtual coffee breaks with your colleagues. Trying to stick to official work hours as a remote worker can be tricky. However, this will give you more time for self-care activities and planning physical hangouts.
Invest in a Co-working Space
The perception of freedom that comes with working outside a traditional office environment is a major factor that makes remote working more endearing. However, sticking to the four walls of your home all day can contribute to your social isolation. Co-working spaces can be an alternative for you. Like your usual work-from-home routine, investing in a co-working space also has its perks. You get to step out of the house more often while building your physical network through interactions with diverse professionals.
Attending Physical Events
Unlike 2020 when virtual hangouts and webinars were the order of the day, professionals are now more intentional about organizing physical events. These events promote face-to-face interactions, helping industry experts and newbies to network and collaborate effectively. So, if you have been stalling on registering for that career fair or workshop, here is your cue to go back and click that link. This will not only help you to create meaningful social connections but also open you to better career opportunities.
Participating in Virtual Team Activities
Most remote workers tend to skip virtual social events at work. However, working remotely does not equate to cutting off official interactions. When your workplace organizes team-building activities like coffee breaks, happy hours, or virtual employee hangouts, be intentional about participating and actively contributing. This does not only build team cooperation and productivity. It also helps you to have a sense of human connection.
Family Time
Familial connection is one essential that you easily lose out on when you prioritize work over relationships as a social worker. Usually, this is not an intentional act, as you may not realize it until you finally start to feel the void. Now is the time to remember that you need humans – particularly family to beat isolation. So, be intentional about including family time in your calendar. This can be in weekends or during work-free hours on a weekday.
Get a Gym Subscription
If you don’t have one already, getting a gym subscription is one of the best gifts that you can offer to yourself as a remote worker. Given that you spend long hours working, sitting in your space may have become a habit. This might seem comfortable, but you’re losing out on physical movement. So, being active at the gym will help you kill two birds with a stone. As you begin to exercise and improve your physical health, you also get to meet new people and build better social connections.
Disclaimer: The opinions, views, and information expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, or opinions of iNaijanow. The company assumes no liability for any errors, omissions, or damages arising from the use of this information. Abisola Ige is a seasoned content writer with experience in crafting engaging and quality articles across various niches. She is passionate about creating impactful content that informs and inspires readers.
