Lonely but Not Powerless: Embrace These Unique Times
In the early days of working from home, it was great. But after the quick honeymoon period (about a month into the quarantine), there were times I desperately wished I had the privacy of my old office. I found that there were more disruptions at home, like our son crawling into my workspace while on a call or having to meet the Amazon delivery guy downstairs, that were breaking my train of thought – I know, first-world problems. One day, I texted a single friend to see how he was doing during the quarantine and working from home. He told me it was getting tough and he was lonely. I never thought of that way and it put my circumstances into serious perspective. I began asking questions like, “How are people finding that meaningful connection during quarantine?” or “What can you do fight the inevitable loneliness of working from home without any roommates or family?” After speaking to local therapist and doing some research, here’s what I found.
Get connected
This is an obvious one: use the technology available and reach out to friends, family and coworkers. This can be via telephone, the many video communication options available or even social media. Plan video get-togethers like you would if you were meeting somebody for coffee or for lunch. If you’re feeling lonely and are comfortable, use these opportunities to talk about your loneliness and how things are going.
Get appreciative
There’s a difference between feeling alone and going with the flow, enjoying the solitude. There aren’t many occasions in our lives that we are alone so try to use this time to be more comfortable with ourselves, without any interruptions. Do solitary activities like reading, writing, meditation or even playing video games.
Get a pet
Visit your local animal shelter. There are plenty of animals out there that need good homes and can provide companionship. While not the same as human interaction, pets can provide a type of social interaction that will combat loneliness. Does your apartment not allow cats and dogs? Get a goldfish – it helps.
Get moving
Physical exercise is extremely beneficial to emotional health, significantly helping to mitigate the depression that comes with loneliness. When working at home, you have the flexibility to schedule workouts, yoga and runs – take advantage of that. Remember: healthy body = health mind.
Get generous
While many operations have shut down to stop the spread of COVID-19, some organizations are in greater need of volunteers (virtual and physical) to keep their essential services going. Volunteering not only allows you to connect with others (at a distance), but it also gives you that valuable gratification that combats loneliness.
Get perspective
This is no joke, but talk to people (like myself) who now have less alone time to get some perspective. This new outlook will allow you to see the freedom, flexibility and serenity you get as a solitary lone worker. Yes, having a family is great but it’s not always sunshine and unicorns.