How Remote Workers Make Work Friends

The best way to do this is to put a standing meeting on your calendar,  perhaps once a week or once a month, depending on preference. All these efforts at friendship fall short https://remotemode.net/ of God’s plan for the people He created. Many feel ill-equipped—or maybe even a bit afraid—to jump in. Sometimes, we sit back and wait for someone to drop into our lives.

• Sure, in 2021, it’s much easier to have your right-swiping do the talking when it comes to making a partnership.
• Send her a quick message asking what she thought about the cliffhanger ending.
• You get certain features (including 15 minutes per day of coworking video chat) for free, with a premium account costing $9 a month.
• Imagine if you couldn’t drop by a co-worker’s desk during your very first job, or go out for drinks after work with your colleagues.
• Not having an in-person office environment doesn’t mean you can’t still have a lunch date or coffee chat to catch up or get to know someone better.

Working from home has become more common nowadays, and it has its own set of benefits and drawbacks. One of the essential things you might miss is the opportunity to interact with people and make new friends. Since freelancing and entrepreneurship are on an upswing, you may have noticed that there are now endless meetups and networking opportunities for creatives and people who work in startups. I remember when I first started freelancing many years ago it was kind of difficult to make new friends who actually got what I did for a living. Even just two years ago it was difficult for me to make friends in my local area because I felt like there was nowhere for freelancers like me to hang out. A work friend needs to be someone you can trust, but you also have to open yourself and be vulnerable to create a healthy work friendship.

Initiate virtual coffees or cocktails.

When you’re trying to establish a friendship at work, “the willingness to be vulnerable and trust people may help you progress past the coworker stage,” Marrs says. Maybe you have the same sense of humor, or you both are into doing tai chi after work. Sometimes you can’t explain why you have a fast emotional connection with someone. They found that people’s networks grew smaller while working from home, and team communication, even virtually, decreased. No matter what your approach, be that person who genuinely wants to know more about others, and then listen to them like they are the only person on the planet.

If you’re not careful, you can quickly find yourself feeling lonely and disconnected from the world. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to make friends when you work from home. Whether you’re a super busy entrepreneur or feel shy and introverted, social connections and community are crucial to https://remotemode.net/blog/tips-on-how-to-make-friends-when-you-work-from-home/ your well-being. Working from home can no longer be your go-to excuse for not going out on the weekends. While it may be harder to meet new people and make new friends if you work from home, it is not impossible. Another one of the best tips for making friends when you work from home is volunteering.

Reach out to former colleagues and connect on professional networking sites (such as LinkedIn)

Even if I just go to work there twice a week, it’s worth it for the human interaction. I’ve not just made new friends, I’ve made new friends who actually get what freelancing is about. This is extremely helpful in times when I want to share a win or maybe vent out some frustrations. Many organizations have mentoring programs in place where new hires are paired with seasoned employees or executives pair up with lower-level employees. These can be very effective in establishing positive work relationships and even lasting friendships.

• If you draw a comparison of work friends vs. real friends, they are not your informal buddies with whom you usually joke around.
• Being the new person in the office is a license to get to know people.
• Take advantage of these activities by signing up to a club or sport that you find interest in.
• The workplace close friendly and the workplace friendly seem like the best bets in terms of getting the benefits without being too draining.

It’s not uncommon for jokes to fall flat or for brief correspondence to come across as abrupt or rude in written messages. She says she’ll sometimes get her spouse’s opinion at home before she hits “send” on a message or email. I once landed on a former work wife’s doorstep in Nashville for a weeklong stay only to realize when I got there that we’d met in person exactly once. As far as remote working goes, there’s a way of inviting other users into your digital working space to further concentrate your mind.

Attend Professional Development Events

Although most people find it good as it helps them work from their comfort zone, people are increasingly becoming socially isolated. Social isolation often makes it difficult for one to interact with virtual teams. If you have been a victim of it, you must have thought about how to make friends when you work from home. One of the downsides of working from home is the isolation that can come with it. However, there are ways to combat that feeling of loneliness. Consider joining a mastermind group or accountability partner program.

It’s simple, it’s easy, and, I gotta say, it works every single time. But you want to know what makes people really interested in you? I mean, you could offer them a genuine compliment, you could ask some questions, or have some fun with some go-to icebreakers. A step-by-step online training course that shows you how to write copy that’s powerful, persuasive, and 100% YOU, so people will love – and buy – what you sell. Jacob Ma wasn’t going to let the fact that his new job kept him at home all day stop him from making new friends.

This is an important point if you are planning to leave somewhere because you don’t like the people. It can be empowering and comforting to know that, with some reframing, we can sometimes turn things around if we want to. Remember, networking isn’t just about making a quick sale or business deal.

• While this might be great for productivity, it does tend to isolate you from the rest of the world.
• Let’s say you heard a coworker Megan mention in the all-staff meeting that she was late because she was putting her kindergarten son on the school bus for the first time.
• The more you engage with a person, the stronger a professional relationship—and personal friendship—you can build.
• For example, there are many parents who have a flexible schedules because they are trying to homeschool and work from home.
• With the current state of the world, many people are struggling with social skills and isolation.
• Many organizations have mentoring programs in place where new hires are paired with seasoned employees or executives pair up with lower-level employees.