You need to get out of the house when you work from home – seriously! I try and get out of my house every other day, at least. I’ve gone on some serious work benders where it’s been a few days of sleep/eat/work/repeat, and I always feel like garbage at the end of those. Give yourself some breaks and go immerse yourself in humanity, even if you don’t want to.
If you’re worried because you’re being reclusive and going stir-crazy in your home office, check out these great excuses to get out of the house when you work from home:
1) VOLUNTEER
Just because you work remotely and don’t get asked in person by your coworkers to volunteer, you can find a place to go volunteer. I’ve been bad about this one since I left my desk job, but I am going to remind myself here; You should volunteer, no matter how busy you are. And not just because other people need our help, but because it makes you feel really really good to not focus on our work from home jobs for a moment. You get to make amazing interpersonal connection and network as well. A great place to start your search is at VolunteerMatch.org.
My 3 favorite non-profits that I have been involved with in the past in the Colorado area are the Dumb Friends League for supporting our local furry friends and community education around animals, Brent’s Place for providing top-tier, sterile living spaces for families of immunocompromised children with cancer or other severe health issues, and The Chanda Plan, for helping improve the lives of persons with physical disabilities through integrative therapy. I’m so lucky to know Chanda myself, and can personally say that she has one of the most overwhelmingly beautiful souls I’ve ever been around. And even though she is one of a kind, these are the kind of people you may get to be around when you volunteer. So go forth and find an org with a mission that fits you and your schedule, and remember how important it is to help others as well as take care of yourself!
2) JOIN A BUSINESS CLUB
Considering joining a local entrepreneurial group or young professionals club. I was lucky to be invited to one that is small and informal and amongst a few dozen people I’ve met networking, but why not start your own? Reach out to some of your current and past coworkers or friends who seem like they are always up to something – and see if you can snag a coffee with them once a month or so to informally discuss where they are at with their business, and how you can help. If you haven’t read The Go Giver, start a business book club with your entrepreneurial friends! Or, look up professional clubs or organizations like BNI or Young Professionals clubs. A great resource for these groups is MeetUp.com.
3) TAKE AN IMPROV CLASS
You quit your day job and work from home now, which is great. It’s what you wanted. But, admit it, there is just way less stuff going on. Way less interaction and definitely less drama. Some people might miss that great story-telling material. Why not go make your own theatre? Improv is getting much more mainstream, and businesses are constantly seeking out corporate training through Improv classes – learning how to be agreeable and work as a team. Plus, it’ll give you an awesome story to tell when you are asked what you do to get out of the house when you work from home.
4) DANCING
Dance if you want. Or Zumba. Or Yoga. Or on a walk…..I TRICKED YOU, it’s really all just excising in this section, isn’t it? Ugh, I’m so sorry. Big eye roll, but seriously- go exercise. To be honest, I don’t do it enough, so I have to trick my brain into thinking it’s something funner too. Like “leaving the house to go dance with my girl” is just really me joining a Zumba studio with my neighbor. Same diff it the end, right? Plus, it works to get out of the house when you work from home!
5) TREAT YOSELF
Are you seriously not treating yourself once and a while. You deserve it. If you’re the boss, and the only employee, you’re supposed to be taking EXTRA good care of your only employee- yourself! Don’t be a lame boss, give yourself a trip to get a pedicure, for goodness sake.
You guys, I know personally how hard it can be to get out of the house. It’s so much easier to sit at home and work, but it catches up with you fast. But make some time for yourself on your weekly schedule, brush your hair, and get out of the house when you work from home.
Ready to get serious about your work from anywhere job search? I whole-heartedly recommend Flexjobs, the site where I found my first freelance writing gig. There are zero scams on their site and they have their own 100% remote team, too!
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