13 Ingenious Ways People Are Coping With Loneliness During The Pandemic — Work From Home And The Mental Health Challenges
Working from home is a dream come true, says an introvert.
In fact, this desire is not exclusive to the introverts alone. We all have dreamt of working at home at some point in life. We fantasize about having flexible timings, spending more time with our family, not having to deal with politics at work and not having to dress up to work. We imagine that working from home would mean being able to work in our PJ’s, typing on our laptop while lying in our cosy bed. We dream of having more control over our routine and our personal preference of when and how to work.
Right now, as of May 20th 2020, we are almost in the second phase of the pandemic, in the sense that people are now settling into the reality of it. They have started to adjust to the new routine and they are getting a hang of what the future may look like for the next couple of years and they are now planning and adjusting their life accordingly. There is still a lot of uncertainty, but the fog is clearing up just enough for them to see a bit more clearly now.
With layoffs because of the pandemic and businesses shutting down, there were a ton of people who became unemployed. A large number of them took matters into their own hands, by self-employing themselves, starting a freelancing career or a small business. They either ventured into solopreneurship or freelancing, or started building remote teams. Reports are showing a surge in the freelancing and remote working.
People became excited about working from home for their employers, or launching themselves into a new career of freelancing or entrepreneurship which enabled them to earn money online, while being locked up in their homes. However, now that they have gained some momentum and are becoming accustomed to a new routine, people are noticing the downside of working alone. Some are living alone, while others have a family of their own. Both types have their own set of challenges for working from home. But one common challenge that all freelancers and remote workers are facing right now is the lack of social interaction and loneliness.
This prolonged period of isolation has started to show its effects on the mental health of many which, if not taken care of properly, can lead to anxiety and depression.
Freelancers and remote workers constituted a large number of populations even before the pandemic hit. They were already dealing with the challenges of isolation and loneliness. But to cope with such challenges, freelancers had developed certain strategies and incorporated them into their daily routine. They would take following actions to fulfil their basic need of human interaction and keep their mental health in check. They would…
· Sign up for gym classes and make new friends there
· Join a business networking community.
· Play in a weekly sports game in their local area to socialise with local people.
· Schedule lunch dates in a restaurant and movie dates with friends once or twice a week.
· Work in a co-working space where they were able to connect and network with new like-minded people.
· Visit their friends or family on weekends.
However, things are different after the Covid-19 outbreak. Remote workers can no longer engage in the above-mentioned activities because of the lock-down. They are now stuck in their homes, with no other options available to their already limited resources of human interaction. The little interaction that they had with the outside world is gone too. This lack of social interaction is causing a deep sense of loneliness and consequent mental health problems among the remote workers.
I asked a bunch of people who are working from home about the things that they are doing to take care of their mental health and to cope up with the loneliness and isolation during this pandemic crisis. As the saying goes “Necessity is the mother of invention”, so is the case here. These people have come up with some very interesting and creative ways to still be able to get their dose of human socializing.
1. Video Games
Both men and women described that they play group-oriented video games which requires them to play in groups of people, such as Grand Theft Auto and PUBG. These kinds of games help them connect with new people and make new friends. And in other cases, this gives them a chance to spend more time with their already existing friends by collectively engaging in such games.
2. Virtual Dinner Parties and Lunchtimes
People are using zoom very creatively. They are organising virtual happy hours, dinner parties, lunch breaks and surprise birthday parties on zoom video conference app. One person described the following
One friend’s Zoom room has become a bit of an open house gathering one lunchtime every week, which has been a lovely way of actually meeting new people, ‘sharing’ food and having a proper break (we also happen to be mostly black women, so right now it’s kinda like group therapy).
Virtual dinner parties have become a sort of a norm now and it is helping them break their routine and socialize with their peers. In virtual dinner party, all individuals decide to cook a meal, set up a table, dress up and then get online and virtually eat together and talk. Such parties end with a virtual game night or a dance party just like a regular dinner party.
3. Business Networking Groups
People are finding ways to digitally connect with a community that shares similar interests or goals. They are joining various Facebook groups and networking organisations where they can share their daily struggles and experiences and help out each other with their problems. People find these groups very supportive and an overall positive vibe is maintained by the organisers of the group which helps in alleviating some loneliness caused by the lack of social interactions. Here’s a list of some of some of those groups
· Business Network International — BNI
· Toastmasters
· Rotary
· Mastermind Group
· Facebook Groups related to entrepreneurship such as Coffee with Dan, Entrepreneur Hustle, Digital Nomad Entrepreneurs and many more
4. Marco Polo
Some people expressed that they are also using apps like Marco Polo more often now.
Marco Polo has seen a rise in its demand and it has been ranked number 21 on the most downloaded app on the iPhone in March 2020. It is a video-messaging app where close friends and family members talk to each other via video messaging to each other. It’s like a WhatsApp app, with the difference that instead of messaging via text, it is messaging via video.
This kind of interaction makes people feel more closer to their loved ones as compared to the texting. It also enables them stay in touch with each other every day. And unlike a video phone call, both parties don’t have to be present at the same time together to communicate with each other.
5. Virtual Co-working
Some people expressed that they are part of virtual co-working groups and it is helping them beat isolation and improve their productivity. People with similar work couple together in such groups and make each other their accountability partner. They then work together online, while holding each other accountable for the amount of work done.
A few of such groups are listed below
· Focus Mate
· Myworkhive Co-working
· Virtual Zoom Rooms
Instead of signing up for such groups, there is another alternative available too, which people are making use of. They are reaching out for such accountability partners in their already existing Facebook groups.
6. Interactive Online Learning
One person explained how CreativeLive is helping her connect with new people while learning something fun at the same time. CreativeLive is different because it is interactive, unlike other online courses. Live classes are happening in real time and students can ask questions from their instructor in real-time. They can also chat and mingle with their virtual “classmates” in CreativeLive classes.
I find this keeps me current in my industry and I’m always learning. CreativeLive.com (free broadcasts) is my favorite because it has people interaction and broadcasts live.
7. Going for a Walk and Bike Rides
Go out for a walk, stretch and move your body. Body movement, sunshine and fresh air are all mood boosters and they help in improving the mental health. You may also bump into your neighbors and strike a conversation with them, six-feet apart of course. Schedule bike rides with friends or people in your local community
I make sure I get outside everyday rain or shine for at least a short walk. Sunshine and nature is a great mood booster and I often bump into other walkers and neighbors. I also try to be intentional about reaching out to friends and scheduling walks or bike rides or even just calling an old friend.
8. Leaving the TV in the Background
If all else fails and no one is available to talk to, just turn the TV on and do your chores while TV running in the background. This is what one person said
Kimberly Love, Author says…
Just make sure you reach out to people. I usually have a TV show playing in the background so it’s like I’m not alone
9. Adopting a Pet
Some good fellas are beating their isolation by adopting a pet. Pets will listen to you; they will keep you busy. You can take your dog to the dog walks and even meet and interact with other dog walkers.
10.Volunteer for a Social Work
Some people have found it very rewarding to be of service to others. Not only does it make them feel a sense of purpose, it also gets them to engage and interact with new people daily. Making a difference in someone’s life boosts happiness, gives you a sense of purpose, joy and connection.
11. Writing a Journal
Journaling is helping a lot of people. It helps them release and express their thoughts and brings them clarity of mind.
12. House Swapping
One person suggested to swap houses in order to change the working environment. This breaks the pattern of a stagnant routine and helps you connect with a work buddy with whom you can boost your working productivity. This is similar to the Focus Mate mentioned in the heading number 5, but in real life.
find people in the same situation, and work at their house for one morning, and they work at yours for a morning — it quickly breaks up a week
13. Scheduling Calls, Texts and Meetings with Friends and Family
People are consciously scheduling their calls with friends and peers on a daily basis. It is easy to let the day go by, without such efforts. Therefore, people are deliberately making this an essential part of their daily schedule to maintain their social interactions.
With this new normal of working from home, it is essential to develop some habits from the get go to maintain a good mental health. Remote workers will have to deliberately schedule human socializing into their daily lives, if they want to adopt remote working as a permanent lifestyle and stay sane.
