Writing About Remote Job: Ways of Dealing with Loneliness

Freelancers and remote workers often work at home, and those who live alone can spend the whole days in isolation. According to a research conducted by Regus, 27% of respondents feel lonely when they are working at home. If a person does not live alone, family members distract them with requests (51% note this problem), which does not allow them to concentrate. It is noteworthy that attention is also paid to pets, who want to communicate with the owner (42% of respondents cannot focus on work because they cannot stop hugging their pets).

But if the only one with whom you can communicate is the spider (not as a pet but just a simple “visitor”), and you feel lonely, this writing will help you to deal with this issue.

Writing as a Method of Dealing with Loneliness

One of the best ways that could help you to cope with the feeling of isolation is writing. What is that? By writing, I imply expressing all ideas, feelings, and thoughts that encompass a person in a written form. In this case, you can feel free to communicate to all the world.

According to American experts, writing is considered to be the best form of psychotherapy as it allows the brain to concentrate on our emotional being that will contribute to the better comprehension of our organism. Therefore, such a practice will bring benefits that could be equal to visiting an actual psychotherapist.

As for the writing, you can start from short essays that will describe your day, full of interesting moments and events. In this way, you will be able to get positive emotions triggered by experiencing the same feelings. Moreover, you can start writing letters to friends or your sweetheart. It will bring you an unforgettable experience, especially when you get a response.

So start buying pens and a clean sheet of paper, your masterpieces are waiting for you!

Presence Effect

For instance, I turn the records of the broadcasts from the conferences on a large separate monitor on and feel myself among these people. The daily call of colleagues helps as well, and some of the calls should be about work, and the other ones are always about everyday affairs. Just like sharing the opinion about a new film − in that way I do not feel so lonely.

Such a practice is called a presence effect: when you are making everything to get a feeling you are among many other people.

I know that some remote team workers simply turn a video call on the tablet or phone almost for half a day and work as if shoulder to shoulder − it seems that the colleagues are nearby, although in fact, everyone is at home.

Common Goals

Personally, I do not feel lonely or isolated from my colleagues, since the main thing is not to drink tea together, but to work as one team to achieve common goals, and also understand what you are doing and why. Now there are many ways to communicate and quickly resolve any issues, regardless of your physical presence in the office. There is no need to be bored. As for the advice:

• If the work is interesting for you, then you will not have time to be bored and sad in solitude. For example, in the morning I communicate with clients from Asia, in the middle of the day − from Europe, and my evening time is devoted to talking with friends from North America.
• Work should be captivating and useful for your self-development. Participation in foreign exhibitions and conferences is an excellent experience. If so, take part in corporate events.
• Focus not on the fact that you are working remotely, but on what you are doing. Look for the pros in your work.

Work and Rest

I would say that it is not loneliness that strains so much, but a mixture of work and home. It can lead to the awful result: a constant overstrain, the inability to rest and sleep and, as a consequence, a drop in productivity. In order to cope with this, there are many methods, the best of which is to work out of the home.

Of course, this way is not available for everyone due to various reasons. But still, we have to remember that there is a huge abundance of methods which could help you to rest at home. Some of them are mentioned here. Do not hesitate to open new options for yourself.

Well, as for loneliness, the solution is simple − meet more with friends, colleagues, partners and do not stay at home at weekends, since you have already been doing it during the weekdays.