Thanks to technology, more and more jobs can be done from home. While the thought of being able to work in sweatpants is pretty enticing, many people find themselves fighting feelings of isolation when they spend the majority of their time working from home.
How can you embrace the flexibility of working from home without feeling totally shut off from the world?
Find your community
We can’t stress this enough. Even if you’re an introvert, community is crucial to your overall wellbeing! Even if you don’t see them in person everyday, take the time to seek out a group of people who you can count on to encourage, challenge, and support you. Not sure where to find these people? They don’t have to be your childhood besties. Here are some prompts that can help you identify a potential community:
- People who have similar passions and hobbies
- People who have similar life or career goals
- People who carry a similar worldview or mission
When you find (or create!) a group of people who can relate on any of the prompts listed above, there’s so much room for unique talents and personalities on your shared common ground. You can stand side by side and learn from one another.
Being united around a similar mission is a huge factor in what’s made our community of Sseko Fellows so strong. While these women are spread all across the country, they’re able to encourage and support each other as they work towards their mission to make the world a little brighter for women in East Africa and right here in the US. They met through this shared mission and have built relationships that can be described as true sisterhood. This community pushes them to be the best version of themselves while providing support when they’re feeling overwhelmed, lonely, or when they need someone to share a virtual glass o’ vino with!
(Pssst, if you’re looking for a community of brave and bright women to join, we would love to invite you into ours!)
Force yourself to leave the house
We know it’s tempting to embrace that all-day-sweatpant-life, but set a goal of leaving your house at least once a day. Even if it’s just a walk down the street, you’ll find yourself more inspired and less apt to feel like you’re alone on this planet. Take it one step further by scheduling one or two social events for yourself each week. Social events could be anything from hosting a fun Trunk Show where you shop with friends and earn free goodies, to attending a local event in your community, to going to a group workout class. Any atmosphere that gets you talking to other human beings is going to be a win for your wellbeing!
Use social media wisely
Social media is like fire. Use it correctly, and it creates a nice heart-warming atmosphere for you to enjoy. Let it get out of control and you’ll find yourself feeling completely burnt out (excuse the pun). When you’re working from home, you can use social media to your advantage by connecting with others and establishing long-distance friendships. However, be on guard for feelings of FOMO or jealousy creeping in. Remind yourself that social media is where people put the highlights of their life and not necessarily their daily grind.
In a typical workplace, it’s the expectation that you don’t spend your work hours surfing social media. While working at home gives you more flexibility, set some boundaries and practice being your own boss by establishing working hours where you don’t check Facebook or Instagram. Not only will this boost your productivity, it will also make the time you spend on social media more of a treat! When you spend less time on it, you’re more likely to spend your limited time catching up with friends instead of finding strangers to compare yourself to.
For those of you lucky enough to have the option of working at home, try implementing these tips into your routine and we bet you’ll find yourself more in love with your lifestyle than you were before!
For those of you who wish you could work from home, check out the Sseko Fellows Program for a great flexible way to earn money, enjoy a positive community, and make an impact in the world!