When you work from home, it can prove challenging to create and maintain a fulfilling social life. Even the most introverted people need social interaction. As humans, we’re social beings who crave attention and validation from others, at least once in a while. If we start to feel isolated or cut off from the world, we experience a phenomenon called FOMO (fear of missing out) in which we feel like we’re missing out on crucial experiences.
If you have a remote job, it’s even more essential that you make time for your personal life to thrive. Whether it’s time with friends, family, or loved ones, taking time out of the week to catch up with people you care about matters for your mental and emotional wellbeing. Recent studies show that face-to-face interactions decrease the risk of depression and are good for overall psychological health.
Let’s look at a few different ways you can maintain a social life when you work from home so you thrive in your personal pursuits.
Automate your tasks
If you crave a more fulfilling social life, could it be because you’re too swamped by work tasks to focus on having fun? Do you have tasks you complete every day that could be automated instead? If so, consider using marketing automation to get things done. According to Adestra, 74 percent of marketers say that the most significant benefit of marketing automation is saving time. The time you spend on routine tasks adds up throughout the week, and you want to spend it as productively as possible.
When considering whether or not to use marketing automation software, ask yourself if your time or money is more valuable. If your main focus right now is to create more time for your personal endeavors, it might be time to automate your tasks.
You might use marketing automation on the following:
- Sending emails
- Posting to social media
- Booking appointments
- Invoicing clients
- Scheduling blog posts
- Tracking expenses
Rent a coworking space
Have you considered meeting and working alongside others who have remote jobs? If not, it might be the easiest way to make new friends and get to know people with a lifestyle similar to your own. Renting a coworking space could be a viable option if you have some extra cash set aside and want a reliable space to work that isn’t your home office.
According to Harvard Business Review, there are several benefits to using coworking spaces, including:
- Seeing your work as meaningful. When people gather in a coworking space, they belong to different organizations and do different things. This is empowering because there’s no competition and everyone can focus on their tasks.
- More job control. Coworking spaces let remote workers come in when they choose, talk to whom they want, and work where they please. It offers flexibility in a way that other setups don’t as they give people more control over their workday.
- Building community. When you work in a coworking space, everyone there has one thing in common: they rented it to work. Each person has tasks to accomplish and wants to focus, and these common goals help build a community within the space.
When you see the same people regularly, you’ll inevitably start a conversation, learn their name, and perhaps get to know them on a personal level. With this setup, it’s easier to work, maintain a social life, and create a localized work environment.
Keep an organized schedule
If you’re one of those people who live their life on a day-to-day basis and doesn’t tend to keep a close eye on their schedule, it’s time to change that. It’s good not to have every second of the day penciled in, but when it comes to your work tasks, it’s essential to stay on top of your responsibilities. If not, you’ll find yourself scrambling to keep up and left with no time to socialize.
Make it a habit to write down your schedule each week and keep track of your tasks. Have both a monthly and weekly calendar so you can gain overall insight as well as a detailed look at your upcoming schedule. It’s also essential to highlight free time to meet up with friends and visit family.
Treat your social time with as much importance as your work time. When you consciously plan to create a social life, it’ll happen more naturally. It also makes it easier to commit to non-work-related plans because you can look at your schedule and see when you have time off.
When making plans, set a specific time and location with your loved ones. Promising to text or call later to solidify plans rarely works in anyone’s favor and only prolongs the engagement from taking place. Refer to your schedule, pick a time that works best for you, and ask if it works for your friends as well. From there, everyone can pitch in and confirm their attendance.
Wrapping it up
At first, it might seem difficult to have a thriving social life when you work remotely, but don’t lose hope. There are several things you can do to ensure that there’s a fair balance between your work life and social life. Automate your everyday tasks so they don’t detract from your free time. Rent a coworking space so you can work with like-minded individuals who also have remote positions. Finally, keep an organized, regularly updated schedule so it’s easy to block out time for your loved ones. How will you maintain a social life while working from home?