The Deadly Quiet Phase: Surviving Working Alone
Some of us have to or even want to work from home. There’s no rush hour, weird water-cooler discussions, and just more freedom to get things done. Even for those of us who love working from home, it can get lonely. Especially when you’ve never actually had to work from home and have a whole new set of distractions. Not only do you have to fight for respect from people who think you are just “free” just because you are at home, but you also have to fight yourself.
The thing is, it can get really quiet. Even as an introvert, no matter how much I love working alone, it can get to me too. Especially when most of my work history has been surrounded by people and working with customers. So now that the only people I can see for hours are my dog, I can get a little stir crazy. There are a few things you can do to make your time not feel monotonous and just too quiet.
Schedule breaks. I mean it. Have specific times, doesn’t have to the the exact same every day, but get time away from everything. No screen, calls, or even looking at your phone. Get out of the rooms you you usually work in. Sit in the kitchen to eat, leave the house, take the dog for a walk.
Get out of the house. This doesn’t just have to be for a break. If your work allows, sit on your patio or deck. Hit a coffee shop or book store, there are even co-working spaces that will work great. Just give yourself new scenery to look at.
Move around. Make sure you are not sitting all day. Get up to stretch every hour. Go for a short walk in the morning and afternoon. I have a Fitbit that reminds me to move every hour if I haven’t done my certain amount of movement.
Schedule meet-ups and meetings. Even though we can love working from home we still need to get out of the house and talk to people. Some days you may go into the office for a day and get all your meetings out of the way. Have a lunch with a friend so you don’t eat and work at the same time.
Figure out background noise. Don’t just sit there in silence. Create yourself a few different playlists. Something for just in the background but you can be productive with. Another of your favorite music. You can even have the TV on in the background (though I do that less just to save on electricity). Sometimes even doing a podcast if you want to listen to voices like they are talking to you.
These are all small things that can make working at home, alone so much easier. So you can still get your work done and not feel so isolated. You’ll get use to it soon enough and will really thrive.