Don’t you get lonely working from home?
According to Cocoroco, remote work made us 67% more lonely. And I can see why. If you asked me this when COVID hit back in 2020, I would have even voted “yes” in that poll. But now, it’s 2024, and I don’t agree any more. Let’s look at why, and how you can not only stay sane working from home, but actually, thrive.
This is controversial
When I looked for statistics on how many staff don’t feel lonely working from home, it took me a few different searches to find the right data. I think this is because companies want us to be in the office. So there’s endless articles with stats about how 34% of staff feel lonely, for example according to Posturite.
And naturally, there’s lots of links to how this loneliness affects productivity, overheads and even profit. Once the first wave was over, companies (and lots of staff - don’t get me wrong) want people back in the offices, either full time or on a hybrid basis. And I get why. For lots of people, being around people helps them stay sane, and helps them do their job better.
Of course, it might genuinely be that there is more data out there to evidence the loneliness fact. And it really be a fact. More of us might feel more lonely in general when working from home.
91% of us are more productive at home
Is it any wonder? In my opinion, there are far less distractions than being in a physical office. Yes, the doorbell may ring, and your Slack notifications are likely to be more active; they should be for effective communication with your colleagues.
You’re less likely to be pulled into multiple ad-hoc meetings or be around conversations you’d rather not be hear or be dragged into. You might even feel uncomfortable depending on the culture. You can choose your own music or radio station, or have silence if that floats your boat too. Silence can be golden, if that’s how you work best.
Don’t get me wrong. I think it can really depend on the needs of the individual, and the culture fit between that employee and the rest of the company and their department. For example, you might be someone who gets a buzz from being in the office five days a week! And if that works for you, then you should do that.
But everyone is different, company cultures can really vary, and your type of job will obviously affect your ability to work remotely. And lots of us either don’t find it lonely, or actually have blossomed adding more remote work to our lives.
How I don’t get lonely working from home, I flourish
COVID helped me find my working flow, and improve it. I honestly love my working setup now and I don’t mean I’m glad I can roll out of bed at 08.59, open Slack and chat to my colleagues. No, I don’t work like that. Here’s how I love to work; effectively might I add.
I go outside every morning for a walk, often seeing other people do the same
I go to a busy gym at least 3-4 times a week
I go to yoga and/or pilates classes with familiar faces
I’m lucky enough that my boyfriend’s work means he often pops home on his breaks
Our dog is the best for my mental health - often seen as ‘not the same’ as human interaction, but she does wonders me and gets me outside..
My weekends and out of office hours are often filled with nature, fun and loved ones
And that works for me. So no, I don’t get lonely working from home. I love it. In fact, I’ve found I am more productive with my to do tables and other hacks, as mentioned in ‘how to stay productive working from home as an SEO’. But I’ve done better work, and the evidence is that I’ve won more clients from the remote research I’ve done, and seen better results for clients.
So I say find what works for you, and of course make sure your employer is on board with it. It needs to work both ways, or it doesn’t work at all..
