How to Make Friends While Working from Home? Ask These Office Newbies

Because here’s what I’ve found, when you focus on making genuine connections with other humans, the “what you do part,” that tends to unfold naturally when the time is right. And https://remotemode.net/ you’re gonna wind up describing your work in the context of the human that’s in front of you. As always, good old-fashioned methods of connecting are important, too, Howe adds.

One benefit of self-organized coworking video sessions is that you won’t have to pay anything extra for them. One-to-one video calls and even group video calls are usually free for an unlimited time on most video platforms. You need a mic and camera to use the feature, and you’ll be given an email link that you can pass on to one or more coworkers as needed. It’s really up to you how you use Life At Spaces—in terms of how long the sessions are and how you use them—and there’s plenty of flexibility built into the platform.

Create ways to stay productive at home

“Repotting,” according to Ryan Hubbard, founder of the Kitestring Project, means varying the settings in which you interact. The more friends we repot, according to one study, the deeper the friendships. That means if you only ever interact at work, it’ll be hard to strengthen your bond.

Or, tack it onto some other business event, such as a yearly fiscal meeting, nearby conference, or office holiday party. Don’t wait around for someone to invite you to the office or an event. Certainly, you’ll take part in video conferences and conference calls while working remotely.

Socialize With Colleagues

To account for the delays in communication, it’s best to set expectations early, especially when you’re working on highly cross-functional projects. Decide which communication medium would be best in a given situation. For example, if questions or issues can be addressed in an email or chat message, there’s no need to set up a meeting. That’s hard to recreate in a video chat, but making those connections isn’t impossible.

Don’t be afraid to let check-in meetings be as short as they need to be. Sometimes a five-minute conversation is all it takes to stay connected. I’ve worked 100% remotely since 2015, with a few years of partial remote work before how to make friends when you work from home that. Most of my remote work experience happened long before the COVID-19 pandemic. I wrote a book called The Everything Guide to Remote Work that goes into incredible detail about all the various aspects of remote work life.

Set Ground Rules With the People in Your Space

To prevent burnout and achieve proper work-life balance, it’s crucial to set clear boundaries, which is where creating a schedule comes in handy. Agree on the remote collaboration tools your team needs and check that all your login credentials work ahead of time. Make sure you have solid Wi-Fi so you don’t risk losing your work or cutting out of meetings. Even when working from home, it’s necessary to tune out coworkers sometimes.

If you live in a small city or township, then chances are your city offers recreational activities for you to join. Take advantage of these activities by signing up to a club or sport that you find interest in. And for bonus points, you don’t necessarily have to be good at any of these sports.