While remote work has many advantages that undoubtably make it a great option, it of course has some of its own disadvantages. One of these is the potential for loneliness that can occur when you spend the majority of your time at home, removed from the work-place. Below, I’ve gone into detail about some of the best tips I have for how to fight remote worker loneliness that might creep up on you. Hopefully, once you have implemented these changes, you’ll fall back in love with the remote work lifestyle. Who knows, maybe you’ll even take the plunge and become a digital nomad.

1. Work away from home at least once a week

One of the best ways to fight remote worker loneliness is to make sure you don’t spend all of your time by yourself at home. Starting with just one day a week, try to work from somewhere else. Perhaps your favourite coffee shop has Wi-Fi, or your public library might have a dedicated working area. There are so many options to explore. While you won’t have the rigidity of office culture, you will get to change your scenery. Having a new perspective and fresh air can make a world of difference to loneliness.

2. Take advantage of your more flexible schedule

One of the main advantages of being a remote worker is not having anyone breathe down your neck as you get your work done. As such, you have more autonomy over your time. Take advantage of this. Perhaps there’s a market near your house, why not take your lunch break early and meander over to have a look? Your favourite dinner take 8 hours in the oven? You have the ability to do that, all without affecting your job. You’ll be the envy of your in office friends. For those of you in cities, take a look at TimeOut for all the activities you might be missing out on.

3. Plan an after-work activity

When working in the office, you can often come home just to slump down on the sofa and relax after a taxing day. When you work from home, you often conserve more energy, and might need an opportunity to burn it off. Remote worker loneliness can fester when you have excess energy. This does not mean you have to exercise every day after work. While things such as yoga or swimming are great choices, you could also join a cooking class or painting workshop. These have the added bonus of meeting people with similar interests as you.

4. Join online communities

Remote workers are steadily on the rise. As such, you are not alone in your feelings of loneliness. This has created the demand for online communities. Here, you can stay in contact with people who might share your interests and understand how you feel. There are so many sub-sections for you to explore based on your personal interests and more. Look at software such as Discord. Work From also has our own online community for remote workers with a love of travel. For more information, click here.

5. Increase your use of video calling software

Even if you prefer to have your own space, this does not mean that you don’t miss genuine connection. Thank god for video calling. Software such as Zoom have massively aided the remote work movement, and digital nomad lifestyle. Why not organise a weekly call with your best friend? Or perhaps watch a film together with your parents, all while never leaving the comfort of your home. This is a sure-fire way to aid remote worker loneliness.