Working from home has great perks. You are your own boss, set your own hours and build your life around what matters to you most. However, if you are not circulating and networking in your community, and brainstorming on-line with staff and colleagues, it can be highly isolating.
Also, there is no one to hold you accountable to follow a disciplined regime of marketing, sales, systems and projects, not to mention the all important Personal Development process, which is always “on-going.”
It is hard to stick to a calendar and time-constraints when you feel you can do as you please, and there’s always later or tomorrow. Besides, ONE can indeed be, a very lonely number.
How do you get out of isolation?
Points to Consider:
• Are important tasks being neglected?
• Is the calendar looking more like an enemy than friend?
• Are you sticking to basic tasks only?
• Challenges are being ignored and/or avoided?
• Are you neglecting important conversations or even correspondences with important people in your life?
• Energy level really low?
• Is your passion-light flickering at times?
• Are you avoiding social networking events?
You may be experiencing symptoms of isolation and/or depression, or both! Isolation can lead to the latter. Your job is to find your inner balance, whatever that might be for you. If depression, see a doctor, if isolation…..keep on reading.
It is true that there are things that we all have to do that are not as much fun as others; however, they have to be done.
You have Options:
• First order of business is to make a list of trusted friends and colleagues.
• In order of importance, reach out to them.
• Though it may appear difficult to do this, find the courage to do it anyway.
• Share with them the issues you are having and ask for feedback.
• Remember, this is all about accountability, no matter how uncomfortable it feels to do so at this time.
• Think that you are giving them an opportunity to help you and this may literally “Make their day.”
• Be clear in your request and ask for guidance.
• Let them share their wisdom with you.
• Be sure to thank them for their time and care.
Here’s what to do:
• Listen very careful to what they have to say.
• Figure out what feels best to you.
• Pay attention to your intuition.
• Make a list of all the suggestions so that you can create your own mini-action plan.
• Be extremely grateful that you have these amazing people in your live, even if some of them are at a distance.
• Start expressing gratitude to your God/Universe on a daily basis, for “everything.”
• Practice asking for what you want.
• Find an accountability coach or mentor. This is all about YOU and getting you into a better feeling place.
• Think of lessons learned.
• Remain GRATEFUL at all times!
“ONE” does not have to be a lonely number anymore!
By investing in a personal vision chat, you can gain new awareness, get answers and have an action plan to move forward in your life easier because you have new clarity.
Great question, and good advice. Equally importantly, belong to a community where not only people like you belong to, but also people whom you can learn and benefit from belong to: Consider a membership in a Coworking community in your city!
Working independently, alongside others is a simple way of defining Coworking. The number of people working from home continues to grow year after year. Coworking presents the option to step outside of the home office and join others in some side-by-side work. Coworking truly offers a solution to the problem of isolation that many freelancers experience while working at home, while at the same time letting them escape the distractions of home.
Thank you for adding this particular action step, Ky. Certainly a very important point that simultaneously promotes physical, and emotional health.