One of the pitfalls of working from home, is how isolating it can be. When you’re used to working in an office setting surrounded by other workers, it can suddenly feel quite lonely when you’re working by yourself. That’s why it is important to keep yourself connected to the outside world.
So, how can you stay connected when working from home? I have some great tips to follow to ensure you don’t feel too isolated.
Host Regular Group Video Calls with Colleagues
As you won’t be seeing your colleagues face to face, it’s important to keep in touch digitally. Hosting regular group chats through Zoom or Google Hangouts with colleagues can really help to keep you connected.
Ideally, you’ll want to set aside specific times to do this. Having a group call first thing in the morning before you start work is a good idea. That way, you’ll be able to get clarification on any projects you’re working on and establish goals and expectations for the day and week.
Take Advantage of Social Media
While you’ll want to limit social media while you’re working, it can still prove useful for staying in touch.
To ensure you don’t waste time on it, a good idea is to set aside specific social media times. This gives you the opportunity to keep in touch with friends, family and colleagues without it negatively impacting your productivity.
One great feature on iPhones is setting daily limits for the time you spend on social media. Schedule your social media check-in times during the day. When you’ve reached your limit, your social media apps will automatically go to “sleep” until the next day.
Set Reminders for Birthdays and Events
You can still celebrate special occasions and events such as birthdays, by setting yourself calendar reminders. This will ensure that even when you’re out of the office, you still stay connected with colleagues during these special times.
Consider sending a card in the mail, recording a birthday video greeting to send to them or hosting a virtual party and invite the entire office to sing “Happy Birthday.” You could even have a local bakery deliver their favorite cake to their house!
Respond to Communication Quickly
If you receive emails from colleagues and clients, make sure you respond quickly. When you’re working in isolation, waiting hours, or even days, just to get a reply can be tough. So, ensure your colleagues and clients don’t feel ignored by responding as quickly as you can to communication.
Have you ever experienced email overwhelm by checking your inbox and finding dozens of new messages? I have! Try using a platform like Slack to stay in communication throughout the day without having to filter through all of your email messages to chat back and forth.
These are just a few ways to stay connected when you’re working from home. It isn’t always easy, but if you make the effort, you’ll feel much less isolated. Allow yourself a period of adjustment to deal with the changes and adopt a more flexible working approach. Be creative and try a variety of methods for connection. Before you know it, you’ll have a wonderful community of virtual coworkers!
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