Once again, many countries have entered a nationwide lockdown. For the most part, I think people are getting used to staying at home and finding awesome things to occupy or distract themselves. It can also be said that working from home isn’t that bad anymore unlike the first few months of this pandemic.
However, one of the major setbacks in working remotely is the fact that you can’t make new friends at work easily. If you are a new employee in the company but starts working remotely, you can surely feel this impact and be greatly affected. Having someone to talk to about work can be a lifesaver for most people, especially if they need support to cope with the difficulties of remote working or if they have any problems or questions with their new tasks.
For most remote work employees, they have already accepted that they cannot have work friends because they believed that it’s impossible. Nevertheless, there can be several ways to make friends from work even if you are stuck at home.
Here are some tips that can help you to start creating new friends from work while working remotely:
Visit the office when and if you can
Some companies offer remote work as an option for their employees, especially those who can do their jobs at home or those who have special circumstances that require them to be at home most of the time. If you can, try to schedule your work that includes a visit to the office.
This will help you to meet your co-workers and improve your work relationships with them. If you live in another part of the world and there’s a branch of your office in your country, check which events you can attend and use that chance to see your colleagues.
Unfortunately, it does not apply to freelancers like me as I can’t be flying all over the world to meet my clients (oh, how I wish!).
Make the effort to meet new people
Even though you are doing remote work, it doesn’t mean that it’s the end of your social life too. If you want to have work friends, you should look for all the avenues available to make new connections. Social networking sites like Facebook or LinkedIn can help you find people with the same interests and work as you do. You can also keep in touch with your co-workers through video conference tools and messaging apps. If you can, organise some online events that are not work-related and can fit with everyone’s schedule to have some quality time and team bonding. Start reaching out and surely, people will appreciate your efforts.
I do bump with my freelancing friends from time to time as I have also grown my network by introducing friends to start their freelance journey. Having a good freelancing network in this career can be one of the best things to have since we can support and motivate each other even if we are in different fields. Moreover, it feels so much better when you know people who can personally understand your rants and frustrations about those clients who ghosted you.
Do something good for others
Although you are not always in the office because of your remote work, don’t let it stop you from taking part in the office events or do something for your co-workers. Try to reach out if they are celebrating something important or let them know that you are willing to listen if they have any problems.
Even just a simple hello or thank you can do a lot to show that you care for your colleagues. When you genuinely know and trust each other after some time, a great and mutual friendship between you and your co-workers will surely be formed.
Conclusion
Remote working is here to stay and you must be able to find ways to adapt to its ever-changing environment. Don’t allow yourself to stay lonely when working remotely because there are many ways to make new work friends nowadays. Without a question, having a happy and balanced work-life will improve your productivity. Moreover, having work friends in this line of career will absolutely be a plus. Follow the tips that I recommended above and I’m sure that you can develop better work connections even more.
Do you have any suggestions on how to make friends with your colleagues while working remotely? If you have a different experience, come and share in the comments below!
For more tips on how to survive working from home, here are some up my sleeves: 10 Ways to Prevent Yourself from Doing Overtime when Working From Home 8 Mistakes To Avoid While Working From Home 10 Sure-Fire Tips to Work Productively At Home How to Work at Home with Young Kids without Going Crazy
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