5 tips for socializing from your home office

While more or less the whole world has gone into various stages of lockdown, and people everywhere have experienced the ups and downs of the home office, many freelancers have found themselves in the same position as before: hustling from home.

However, just because we have been doing it for a longer time, it does not mean that we have lost the need for human interaction. Lunch dates, coffee breaks, or just the classic everyday chatter are hard to emulate in a 1-person home office. Luckily though, there are some tools and tricks for socializing even out of the comfort of your own home.

While, generally, social media should allow us to connect with people who are not physically close to where we are, it can sometimes feel like they are doing the exact opposite. Everyone is only sharing their accomplishments and the highlight reel of their life. But this is not creating a meaningful and authentic connection.

One way to reclaim the digital space for actual conversations and exchanges is by joining social media groups, such as Facebook or LinkedIn groups. Find people who are also working from home, live in your neighborhood, work in finance, or whatever niche you are in, and start a conversation. Connecting with other people online will make you feel less isolated, and it is a perfect way of creating relations that might even make their way into real life.

Coworking spaces are the best way for sole entrepreneurs to meet other self-employed people. Not only, this has positive effects on your social life, but it might even create new leads or business opportunities for you. So, why not take this concept online?

Start by inviting a handful of freelancers to a Slack channel or a different application of your choice. Create your team and then tell everyone to suggest one more person from their network to join your digital coworking space.

After you have assembled your team, you will always have someone online to chat with, ask their opinion about a client, or have some coffee break gossip on a private channel.

Sometimes, leaving your house and going out for lunch with your friends or colleagues is not possible. Whether social distancing measures are in place, or there is a simple issue with meeting at the same time and location, you can still enjoy a shared lunch.

Send out invitations for virtual lunch dates and have a video chat over your meal. Lunchtime can become a moment of pure social interaction with friends or co-workers, or it can double as a business meeting with existing clients or potential new leads.

Sometimes, all you need is one person with you in the room to have a chat or a brainstorm with. Why not making it a date to work together once a week? Video conferences have never been more in vogue than in 2020; so, choose your favorite application and get down to work with a friend.

You don’t have to sit and chat with each other and lose valuable work time. Look at it mostly as you two being in a (virtual) room together, and whenever you feel the need to talk or ask a question, the other person is right there, on the video call with you.

A simple way to fill the silence of the home office is by putting on some tunes and letting music entertain you. If you want to take this to the next level, why not create a shared Spotify, or other music streaming, playlist with a friend?

You both can add songs to this list and surprise each other with what gets you going in your home office. This way, you won’t only feel less lonely, but you will also be able to share some fun and exciting moments with your friends.