However, you can always ping your virtual colleagues and reach out to them. Introducing yourself to your colleagues virtually and greeting them can be a great way to interact with your virtual colleagues. One surefire way to meet new people is by attending events in your local area.

• Everyone likes to be recognized for their hard work, so take a minute to send a text or an email letting someone know you noticed them.
• I did B-School a few years back, and really appreciate you and your team.” We appreciate you.
• Locals.org is a great way to connect with people in your area with similar interests.
• But working remotely doesn’t mean you never have to leave the house.
• You get 100% free personalized tips based on your results.

Making these adaptations is critical because friendships make work fun—and fun matters. Having fun unleashes creativity, which leads to better ideas. Genuine, trusting relationships improve productivity in today’s collaborative work environments and industries. You can’t expect your job to be 100-percent enjoyable all the time. It’s work after all, generally defined as the exertion of mental or physical energy.

What are your tips for making friends while working as a digital nomad?

Workers Remotely is a website for people who work remotely, whether that’s from home, abroad, or even out of the office. We know that working remotely can be tricky sometimes, so we aim to make it easier by providing tips on everything from productivity to taxes. Our mission is to help people have happier and more productive work lives, regardless of where they are in the world. Locals.org is a great way to connect with people in your area with similar interests. You can attend real-life experiences, meet like-minded people, make more friends, have fun, and support good causes in one place.

And some people intentionally keep their networks on social platforms small—or separate from their professional life. 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. While digital classes can be a great way to learn, there’s nothing like meeting people while learning IRL. Classes offer the benefit of group exercises and assigned collaboration, which will give you the chance to hone your skills or explore your interests while connecting with like-minded people. Your local community college is a great place to begin your search.

Connect

You don’t have to be in a big city or shell out a lot of cash to benefit from co-working. 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. Give them their space, and consider connecting with colleagues who are more public and open to interacting on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and beyond. That colleague who’s always sharing recipes and photos of the gorgeous meals they make on their personal blog will probably appreciate your likes and comments on their posts. Just because there’s no seltzer dispenser to gossip around, no cafeteria to gather in, or no office to go to, doesn’t mean you can’t make friends with your colleagues. There are lots of things you can do to get to know them whether they’re a county, a country, or an ocean away.

The best way to do this is to put a standing meeting on your calendar,  perhaps once a week or once a month, depending on preference. In fact, women who say they have a best friend at work are more than twice as likely to be engaged in what they’re doing, according to a 2018 Gallup poll. Doing them together can help you https://remotemode.net/blog/tips-on-how-to-make-friends-when-you-work-from-home/ feel more productive and allow you to connect over shared activities. Once you’ve followed the rest of our tips and started the process of making friends, you may still struggle to find time to do things together. Sometimes, we get so tired from the working week that we just want to “do nothing” when we get time off.

What Is Slow Travel – And Should You Try It?

Discounts on all services available to subscription members, become one now. Even if you don’t make lifelong friends, you’re at least giving yourself the chance to be active and happy through work-life balance. If you don’t have any kids or aren’t planning to, the same idea works for your pets.

It can be a great way to interact socially with new people if you wonder how to make friends when working from home. Even if your team has not arranged any informal coffee sessions lately, you can present the idea to initiate it and enjoy some free time with your remote colleagues. You can share your stories or talk about your hobbies and favorite TV shows during this time to build friendships.

Whether you’re sending a text message or voice message through a program like Voxer, it’s the remote equivalent of popping into someone’s office to tell them a quick story on your way to the bathroom. 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.

You might also consider local stores and studios for creative activities like cooking, dancing, or jewelry making. If you work from home and then relax by doing solo activities, like watching movies, you won’t have many opportunities to meet new people. If you enjoy reading, look for a book club you can join (or start one). We have a guide to connecting with people with practical examples and another article that walks you through the “making friends” process.