Freelancing Doesn’t Have To Be Lonely
When it comes to freelancing, many people work independently and alone. Switching to a freelancing career, or even being location independent, can be quite the adjustment if you are used to working in an office with coworkers.
There are no right or wrong rules when it comes to working from home. For years, I worked from home but found myself occasionally growing restless. Even though I’m an introvert by nature and loved working from home, I did miss having co-workers to chat with.
Anyone who is freelancing will admit that it gets a little lonely from time to time. I decided the best thing to do for myself was to branch out and stop being alone all day long during the workweek.
Related reading:
- Typical Day in the Life of a Full-Time Blogger
- 9 Ways to Avoid Blogging and Freelance Burnout
- How to Manage Your Time as a Blogger
- 90-Day Blogging Guide For Beginners
How To Stay Socially Active When Freelancing
Take a lunch break
Just because you work from home doesn’t mean you have to stay home all day. Take an afternoon break or take lunch.
If you’re craving some social interaction or simply want to be around people, get out of the house! I would frequently pack my lunch and eat at the park, with a walk afterward. There were always people around and it was refreshing to not think about work for a little bit.
Find a new environment
If you find yourself missing your coworkers, grab your bag and head to your local coffee shop to get some work done. A change of scenery can be invigorating and refreshing.
For only the cost of a coffee (don’t be cheap – support your establishment and buy something!) you can basically sit at a table and have free internet for the day.
Although I didn’t have very much direct interaction with anyone, in particular, I enjoyed working around other people who were doing the same thing as me.
Join a local meet-up or start your own freelancing group
Because I spent so much time working on my own, I was pretty desperate to have some face to face time. I looked at online groups like meetup and Facebook but couldn’t really find a specific group that seemed like a good fit.
Instead, I researched other similar-ish type bloggers in my area. I ended up reaching out to a couple of bloggers to see if they wanted to grab a bite and talk blogs. It was really fun to brainstorm together as a group, ask each other questions, and make new friends!
Attend a workshop or local conference
My local library and college are always hosting events that are free or cost a low fee.
Even a few local retailers in my area provide classes and learning workshops after hours. These are great ways to connect with others who share a similar interest.
If there is a local conference in your area, that would be an opportunity to connect with a large number of people at once.
We both work from home, but we’re not freelancers. In fact, we spend a good chunk of each day on conference calls with our clients and colleagues. It’s not the same as social time since it’s generally all work-related, but it still counts for something. What we’ve found to work best for us is just to try to get out of the house for a least a little while each day. Especially in the winter, we’ve literally gone days without even setting foot outside, and that was not good! Now we make an effort to go for a walk or bike ride, or go downtown to the library, and pop in on our friends who own downtown shops while we’re at it.
I have definitely made IRL friends from the internet 🙂
I would really struggle with the isolation of freelancing all the time, I am a huge extrovert and love being able to chat with people all day long at work.
So awesome you have made friends in real life!
I don’t get lonely, exactly, but I do feel trapped in the house. I like occasionally working from home — one or two days a week is great — but would not want to work from home every day. If I were in that situation again, I’d primarily work from the public library or coffeeshops, probably, or look for a co-working space nearby. I need my primary workspace to be somewhere other than where I live, or I feel too claustrophobic!
Trapped is a good description!
Great post!! I’m also one of those people who doesn’t get lonely freelancing. I will admit, I text a few friends a lot through out the day so that helps! And just emailing clients and reading/commenting on blogs helps too! I also make sure I get out of the house at least once a day, usually multiple times per day. Just being around people helps to eliminate feelings of loneliness!
I think it’s good to get out of the house! I like commenting on other blogs too and makes me feel connected 🙂
I know a lot of freelancers have mentioned loneliness but I’ve never really felt that myself. I think going to a gym in the morning and/or running on the beach and playing beach volleyball gives me enough social interaction that I need each day. I love my alone time, although I do take breaks and walk in my neighborhood, mainly for the fresh air and sunshine. 🙂
I think group sports is a great way to stay social! Great tip!