Working for yourself is exciting. You get to control your career, make your own hours, and work wherever you want! What’s not to love about being your own boss as an epic entrepreneur?
One problem that many people discover when they’re working from home is loneliness. As a freelance worker, you no longer have nearby coworkers to keep you company. While this is sometimes better when it comes to focus and productivity, learning to combat loneliness in this new situation is tough. Feeling lonely, isolated, and depressed can significantly reduce your productivity and chances of entrepreneurial success. And we have all been dealing with more isolation in general due to recent events and restrictions on top of what you might experience as a solopreneur or freelancer.
We’re here to offer you a few top ideas for avoiding and managing loneliness as a freelance worker. Read on to learn more about being your own boss while avoiding getting lonely.
Go Somewhere New
Working from your own home office can be depressing. Sure, it’s quiet, private, and professional (if you’ve assembled a true home office space), but it doesn’t do much for intellectual or social stimulation.
While working from your home office is going to be the most productive option most of the time, it isn’t helpful if you’re spinning your wheels due to feeling lonely. Why not get out of the house and go somewhere new?
You could do the classic freelancer thing: visit a coffee shop. Sometimes the sound of white noise from chattering customers can help with focus, and it’s nice to be around people even if you aren’t talking to them. Bonus: you’ll get a coffee or tea.
You could also take advantage of the benefits of coworking spaces. This way, the people around you are also working so they shouldn’t be too distracting, but you’ll still be among other people.
Consider Working With Friends
Do you have friends who are also working alone? This is a great time to group together. After all, they might also be dealing with loneliness as a result of their career.
Gather a few friends who work in a similar niche as you. Set a schedule for when you’re going to meet up and start working together. For example, if you’re a freelance writer, meet up at someone’s house or a local coffee shop for writing days.
You can have snacks, chat a bit, and even bounce ideas off of each other while freelancing. It’s a surefire way to lessen the loneliness.
Find an Online Community
So what if you don’t have any “real-life” friends who are working freelance? That’s okay, don’t worry about it. In today’s world it is easier than ever to find people online who are going through the same thing that you are.
With more and more people working from home, online communities for freelancers and other individual workers are blossoming. Seek them out in forums or on social media to start forming bonds.
While you might not be meeting up with these people in the real world, you can put together chat groups to talk throughout the day.
Working for Yourself Can be Lonely
When you are working for yourself, you are responsible for keeping yourself happy and social on your own terms. You no longer have other employees bothering you at your workstation, so it is time to turn to other options.
Find an online community, start connecting with other friends who work from home, and get out into the world every now and again. Don’t settle for loneliness and isolation.
For more helpful articles about entrepreneurship and freelancing, visit the rest of our company site. Check out the Business section of the Everything Entrepreneur blog to learn more about solopreneur success.
