While the covid pandemic raged, there occurred drastic changes in workplaces: less than half of employees in the US continued to work as they did before, but a larger number had to perform remotely. As the number of those working from home kept growing, people stayed at home for lengthy periods, and more and more of them found themselves feeling lonely, parted from their pals in the office, and even less committed to their company as their isolation began to close in on them.

As can be seen from a study included in the book Wellbeing at Work by Jim Clifton and Jim Harter, about a quarter of working Americans experience pangs of loneliness during their workday at home. And if contact with their close people were also to diminish, their loneliness deepened dramatically.

How does loneliness affect your health and work success?

A little loneliness is all right, but as it grows on one, it can develop into anxious states, depression, and finally undermine overall mental condition. As people continue their isolated existence, such symptoms are bound to get worse; people begin to feel they are abandoned.

When people feel disconnected, they lose their determination to help out a co-worker with a task and go out of their way to assist the company. Speaking of business, this will be bad for their performance, let drop their reputation in the company, and in the worst case may result in a dismissal.

How can you feel less lonely when working from home?

Practice self-compassion

A recent York University research puts forward the notion that the loneliness of remote workers can be alleviated by developing self-compassion. As people evolve their abilities for self-compassion, they will feel not so acutely lonely.

Possessing self-compassion means that a person is apt to be kind to themselves, more attentive, more considerate and understanding. They are better armed to cope with loneliness and other negative feelings without paying them overdue attention.

When self-compassion is well-developed, these persons seem to be capable of finding compensation for their feeling of being deserted; they respond to their co-workers faster and with more willingness to listen and help out.

Arrange to work away from home from time to time

Even if your feeling abandoned doesn’t get you down that much, it is highly advisable to move out of home for work on some days. There can be a suitable place somewhere near – in a cafe, in the local library, any public place will do. People bustling around you will create a change from the emptiness of your home.

You are likely to have somebody you know who is in the same boat as you – why not cooperate? Invite them over, relocate to their place or adjourn to the library together; you may not converse much, you are working, after all, but you will certainly feel community hustling and bustling around.

See what possibilities your flexible hours can give you

So you are on your own, doing your bit from home or from a co-working room – you have a flexible schedule that can be used to introduce some socializing to set off the feeling of restriction. It may be easy to do or not so easy, but that’s what you are going to need!

Actually, possibilities are many. Consider having a confidential chat with your kids before you drive them to their destination, stopping by your neighbor for a cup of coffee, or taking your doggie out for a walk where there will be other pet owners. Step out of home regularly. When in the office, you won’t have many opportunities to engage different people in conversations on various topics.

Make your virtual socializing more versatile

When beset by loneliness during a workday at home, you can break the vicious circle by making video calls — seeing other people rather than just hearing them during a meeting feels more social. You could even meet virtually to spend lunch together.

When the work is over, meet people

So you expect to feel very lonely and deserted by the end of the workday; fix a meeting with a relative or a friend for the evening. This will go a long way towards helping you relax, and the obligation will prevent your overworking – you will be fresher the next morning with no burnout on the horizon.

As you go on sitting at your computer at home, it can prove difficult to tear yourself away though you may be tired, and you may need a strong incentive to halt working and see that you have sufficient rest.

Get your goals well in your sights

Exhaustion by the end of the day can be eliminated by satisfaction if you define a goal and then see it achieved successfully. As you concentrate on daily goals and objectives, you gain a deeper understanding of your tasks which could result in better performance.

This way, you can achieve higher productivity, manage a greater workflow and build an enviable reputation – it is sure to exclude loneliness.

Rearrange your home workplace to accommodate your requirements

You can feel much better if your workplace has been perfectly reinvented in accordance with your needs. In a way, working from home is much, much more comfortable. But your workplace may not be so well organized – and small irritations during work can contribute to loneliness.

When everything is running smoothly your spirits will run high. Support your good mood with photos of your near and dear ones (or nice or funny pictures). Looking at those you love and appreciate will do away with pangs of bad feelings.

Make sure you don’t mix up work and breaks for rest. It’s not advisable to settle down in the kitchen with lots of distractions and taking snacks and drinks while doing tasks.

Workdays at home need careful planning

Remote work is not a good reason to lay aside sports and hobbies. They are needed to maintain a good work-life balance, which is essential when you stay home for days. There are enough hobbies and creative activities that can be pursued without leaving home.

Undoubtedly a sport session is an excellent way to clear off the clouds on our mental horizon. You don’t need equipment for many exercises, so you can manage a decent workout without any preparation as soon as you feel in need of one. Sometimes even a short one will do you good.

To sum up

However comfortable and advantageous, working from home does keep you isolated in a measure. Not all of us need a lot of socializing, true, but it would be proper to take steps against being engulfed by loneliness. These steps serve to ensure a bright mood and help improve your performance.