Staying Connected When You Work Alone

1. Staying Connected When You Work Alone WWW.INSIDETHEFUZZYHEAD.COM

2. Staying Connected When You Work Alone WWW.INSIDETHEFUZZYHEAD.COM

3. Staying Connected When You Work Alone It’s so common to feel disconnected from the world when you work remotely. So, how do you stay sane in a solitary environment? I love working from home. It really is the best lifestyle– coffee breaks whenever, snuggles with the doggo and days spent in bed socks on the couch. To call that your job is absolutely the best! However, I can often feel lonely, disconnected and house-bound. Without daily interactions or meeting and conversing with like-minded people it is easy to get cabin fever or feel confined. I had to learn early on how to seek out my tribe and maintain a community when the obvious avenues (like a workplace) aren’t available. My go-to friend-finder is online groups like local business groups or Facebook societies such as ‘Like Minded Bitches Drinking Wine’. There are so many of these wonderful communities which hold workshops, meetings and networking events and social media is amazing for seeking them out. All my experience with ‘networking’ always felt forced and so wrong for me (i was obviously not finding my tribe), so I was reluctant at first to even try something like this, BUT I got out of my comfort zone and started going to organised events where I knew other like minded women would hang out and I never looked back! WWW.INSIDETHEFUZZYHEAD.COM

4. Staying Connected When You Work Alone Having a business coach was hands down one of the most amazing things I have ever jumped into. The thing that made it especially great was the other amazing women in the same boat as me. Hearing them go through similar business and life pressures is so empowering and reassuring. When you work alone often there is no-one to bounce ideas around with, so having a group of people with a common goal and similar situations filled that need and I learnt so much in the process! There are many business coaches who do 1:1 coaching and I think from a business perspective this is amazing, but from a social stance group coaching is really beneficial. It is so nice to hear others in the same position as you and learn, create and evolve together. Local startup initiatives often have co-working spaces, workshops and events. I love getting involved in these communities- you never know what others in your local area are doing, who you will meet, and it is so good to have new local friends for coffee dates. The co-working spaces get you out of your house and into a communal area so you become less cabin-fever-y and get to work around other people. You might even have a real conversation! :0 WWW.INSIDETHEFUZZYHEAD.COM

5. Staying Connected When You Work Alone Working in a cafe or public place can also ease the burden of solitude. I like to find a corner table with a power plug, tie up my dog Tessa outside and work for a few hours over a coffee and banana bread. Tessa gets bulk pats and I get so much work done. It is also good to be in public places because when I have been alone for a long time, being in a busy place can make me anxious. Making a public appearance once a week in a loud and crowded cafe keeps the social anxiety at bay! Having other interests like sport (or your dog!) is really important. It means you have a commitment to something outside your work and your house, and it gets you socialising with different types of people. I have met so many amazing people at the dog park, and all of them are totally different than who I would normally hang out with. It keeps me grounded and current, and the random conversations are always so interesting! WWW.INSIDETHEFUZZYHEAD.COM

6. Staying Connected When You Work Alone I make sure I have an excursion everyday- even if it’s just to the supermarket or mailbox. Getting out of the house refreshes you and replenishes your energy and enthusiasm. It gets you out of your pyjamas and in the fresh air. Working from home is truly incredible, but your time needs to be managed so you don’t go stir crazy. Staying connected to your community online and locally is super important. It also saves your partner from the ‘you just got home from work and I haven’t spoken all day’ crazy conversations. Go get a social life girl! You got this! WWW.INSIDETHEFUZZYHEAD.COM