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How to Make Friends While Working from Home? Ask These Office Newbies

Not only do Millennials and Gen Z (Zennials) have to find and make friends, but they also have to deal with the added pressure of social media and maintaining an online persona. Joining a co-working space can be a great way to meet people and make new friendships. Co-working spaces offer an environment where people not only work, but also socialise. We all know that https://remotemode.net/ one of the best ways to meet new people is to switch up the landscape. It might not be news to start working from your local coffee shop, but approaching it a little differently is the key to making new connections. Between April 2020 and February 2021, Microsoft’s 2020 Work Trend Index reported that work relationships have shifted in an unfortunate direction.

There are plenty of ways to build a supportive and fulfilling social circle, even when you’re working remotely. Not having an in-person office environment doesn’t mean you can’t still have a lunch date or coffee chat to catch up or get to know someone better. Meet-and-greet video calls are especially helpful if you’re new to a job or to a team. If you’re a manager, set the stage for your employees to get to know each other. Start every call with something that helps team members learn about each other. When hosting a team meeting via a conference line, open the line 10 minutes early and leave it open for 10 minutes after the call ends so that team members can chat if they want to.

sure-fire ways you can make friends and expand your social circle when you’re working from home

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Just because you don’t have to meet in person, doesn’t mean you never should. As a leader, you can aim to have your teams work together in person at least some of the time, if possible. Regular face-to-face meetings are a way to promote collaboration—and foster friendships. When working on a group project, consider getting together in person, even though it means getting dressed, getting out of the house and getting in your car or on public transportation. That extra effort to be in the same physical space may pay off by helping generate real relationships.

The 4 Secrets to Making Friends While Working from Home

It’s work after all, generally defined as the exertion of mental or physical energy. Things that are relaxing and easy all the time, like watching Netflix, generally do not come with a salary. Still, most of us spend more time at work than anywhere else; enjoying it matters for your overall well being.

• The options are entirely dependent upon the friendship you’re choosing to forge, and there’s no one way to go about making a new friend.
• Log in to your LinkedIn account and search for Social Networking + your interest, your profession, etc. in Groups in the search bar.
• Local schools often have open public workspaces, and even your library probably has a spot where people can collaborate and meet without the 12 inch whisper.
• The Croissant app is a great tool that can help you find other options.
• If you live in the same city, suggest to your new work bestie that you grab a coffee together during a break time, or go for a walk after work.
• The league will put you on one, giving you the unique opportunity to meet people with different backgrounds and interests.

Maybe the most important takeaway for how to make friends working from home is that it has to coincide with your own interests and work life. That is to say, the best way to socialize might just be by involving others in your work-life balance. You should firmly believe that you’re the biggest advocate of your own happiness and urge to make friends.

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Now that you have stopped talking about work, start sharing stories. According to a meta-analysis (which combines data from multiple studies), people like people who disclose details about themselves. Another study found that when people answered a series of intimate questions, they https://remotemode.net/blog/tips-on-how-to-make-friends-when-you-work-from-home/ felt closer afterward. Friendship is not built from one interaction; it grows gradually. According to the mere exposure effect, we unconsciously like those we are more exposed to. Scheduling an informal chat is great, but this chat needs to be repeated for a friendship to develop.

• In fact, making friends at work is important to productivity and happiness.
• You can attend real-life experiences, meet like-minded people, make more friends, have fun, and support good causes in one place.
• Nothing says that you need to go out into the real world necessarily to learn how to make friends when you work from home.
• After graduation life can get in the way pretty quickly – and that can be especially complicated by big life events like marriage, having kids, and moving to another state.

It was awkward for about a minute, but a single hug later we were picking up in real life where we’d left off online. After endless chats, years of liking each other’s Facebook posts, and hours of commiserating over everything from micromanaging bosses to the single life, we weren’t just colleagues. No, you’re probably not actually insane, but this definition applies to an assumably large amount of lonely remote workers. If what you’re doing hasn’t yielded a new friend, acquaintance, cohort, partner in crime, or crony, you need to try something new. So learn to cook, play an instrument, or try the downward-facing dog at yoga in the park. Plus, the camaraderie and teamwork that often develops in martial arts training can be a great way to build strong friendships and connections.

The #1 Tip on How to Make Friends When You Work From Home: Try New Things

Powers is the only manager hired since the pandemic who oversees full-time remote workers. She has not yet met in person two of the five people she oversees. It might seem strange to strike up a conversation when you’re working out, but sweat working has proved to be a legit way to make business contacts and meet new friends.

It’s entirely possible that you’re spending up to five hours a day on your work’s Slack or Teams chat, but you’re feeling more disconnected than ever. Imagine if you couldn’t drop by a co-worker’s desk during your very first job, or go out for drinks after work with your colleagues. For some, an entirely remote job can be devastatingly isolating, and sadly, there’s no clear return to work in sight. Arrange virtual coffees or happy hours to connect with people. Slack, Zoom, and other online collaboration tools have made working from home a more social affair than ever.

Now, if you feel comfortable introducing yourself to, let’s say, one person a day, then set a stretch goal and introduce yourself to five. And do this for a week or three weeks and watch how quickly you grow. Whether you’re a super busy entrepreneur or feel shy and introverted, social connections and community are crucial to your well-being. When you’re stuck at home, there’s no similar casual hangout, but just being in the office isn’t the solution, as tempting as it might be to think so. Well, easy for me to write, not necessarily easy to put into practice. Think, for example, how easy it would be to meet people if you spent a few hours a day working in your local café, library or park.

• I once landed on a former work wife’s doorstep in Nashville for a weeklong stay only to realize when I got there that we’d met in person exactly once.
• Big Orange Heart – a charity dedicated to supporting and promoting mental health and wellbeing in remote working communities – is a great place to start.
• Planting the seed that you’re someone who likes to connect will keep you top of mind to be included as your friends add new relationships of their own.

A quick follow-up message is the perfect way to transition that random comment from a meeting into a long-term conversation (and maybe friendship). Dee Ann Pizzica, engineering manager at Atlassian customer BRD has worked mostly remotely since 2009. She always starts her weekly staff meetings with a different icebreaker question.

I’ve recently moved to New York City, and there’s no shortage of humans. However, I’m struggling to get out from behind the screen and have real conversations. In a world that makes it easy to hide behind our computers, what are surefire tools to get me out of my comfort zone and into the world? Because, you know, working from home, it does have its benefits, like a flexible schedule and time freedom and, hey, you get to choose whether or not you want to wear pants. Remote working doesn’t have to mean being chained to your home office and staying indoors all day.