Four Tips For Maintaining A Positive Social Life When Working Remotely
If you’re a people person, it can be hard to adjust to working remotely. Often, we look forward to the brief chats we have with our colleagues in between meetings – even the little nods we share with passers-by in the corridor can be considered a simple pleasure of the working day.
Each of these small interactions are crucial for building positive relationships with those around us, and can be considered part of an active social life that contributes to our mental wellbeing.
The question is, how can we keep an open channel of communication when we’re working from home, alone? In this guide, we’ll look at four top tips for maintaining a positive social life when working remotely.
1. Attend Work Socials
Most companies are mindful of the fact that working remotely after being in an office is a difficult transition. If you’re finding it especially isolating, you could raise your concerns in a meeting, or chat to a colleague about any changes that could be made. You’re likely to find that other people are looking for more opportunities for connection, too.
Your company may have already arranged some social events for colleagues to keep in touch outside of (or during) working hours. Both Zoom meet-ups and real-life hangouts are a great way of injecting some much-needed conversation and fun into your daily work routine.
And, if it’s not yet been done, don’t be afraid to be a trailblazer – most companies will appreciate an innovative idea or two that boosts workplace morale.
2. Stay Active In Online Spaces
Social media is a great way to stay in touch with others from the comfort of your home. For most of us, using it is second nature and already well incorporated into our daily lives. However, there’s nothing to be intimidated by if you’re not quite up to speed – the beauty of social media is that you can share as much or as little as you like, and can pick and choose who you want to connect with. It’s an especially convenient tool for keeping up with the lives of long-distance friends that you may not even see on weekends, let alone weekdays.
Similarly, if you haven’t got a work group chat, consider setting one up. This can be used as a dedicated space for out-of-work chat, and is brilliant for maintaining relationships with your colleagues when working remotely.
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3. Schedule Social Events On Weekdays
With the travel time to and from work crossed off your schedule, you may find that you have a couple extra hours to spare each day. Consider using that time to join an after-work club or activity, or schedule meetups with friends during the week. Without the tiring daily commute, you’re likely to have a bit more energy to keep up with the social engagements that you perhaps didn’t before.
Equally, if you find social events tiring, remember to take a restorative break when you need to – an active social life will mean different things for different people, so it’s not necessarily always about doing more, but rather the quality of that social time.
4. Consider A Co-working Space, If Your Company Allows It
This might be one to check with your boss first, as different companies have different policies regarding when and where you can work. If you’re lucky enough to have the freedom to choose, a co-working space can be great for getting in some human interaction whilst still keeping on top of your workload.
Alternatively, a local coffee shop is a pleasant way to meet new people who find themselves in the same position as you: working remotely, but wanting to do so out in the world and in the company of others.
To Sum Up
Although it may seem like a feat at first, maintaining a positive social life while working remotely is easily accomplished once you realise that there are people all over the world who are sharing in the same experience as you. The most important thing to remember is that a social life is not imperative, and not a chore – and should work to increase your happiness and mental wellbeing, always.
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Meet The Writer!
Emma’s team went remote when the Covid-19 outbreak hit, and as an extrovert, it’s safe to say that she found the transition a challenge. A couple of years on and Emma is a home working advocate, bringing the fun to her team (and wider audience) through her passion for online communication.
