The 17 Best Ways to Stay Connected While Working from Home

Originally written November 2017. Updated December 2023.

Working from home offers a unique blend of comfort and flexibility, but it also brings its own set of challenges, particularly regarding how to stay connected while working from home. While professional ties are important, it’s the personal relationships that truly enrich our experience as remote workers. Let’s explore 17 creative ways to nurture these connections, ensuring you stay emotionally and socially engaged while working from home. Learn how to create personal bonds that flourish alongside professional ones, keeping you connected and integrated in a more holistic way. But first, let’s discuss why it’s important to stay connected.

Does Working from Home Cause Isolation?

Working from home can indeed lead to feelings of isolation, but the impact varies greatly among individuals. The experience is not one-size-fits-all; personal traits, especially where one falls on the extrovert-introvert spectrum, play a significant role. For example: 

• Extroverts may find remote work challenging due to the lack of social interaction. They thrive on external stimulation and team dynamics, often found in traditional office settings.
• Introverts, on the other hand, might appreciate the quiet and solitude of a home office. They often find peace and productivity in environments free from the distractions of a busy office.

Everyone’s experience working from home is different, and understanding your personal needs and preferences is crucial in finding the right balance between solitude and social interaction.

Personal Benefits: Why Staying Connected Matters Beyond Work

Staying connected while working from home is crucial not just for professional reasons, but also for personal fulfillment and well-being. Here are some key reasons why:

Combats Loneliness: Regular interaction with loved ones can help reduce feelings of isolation that often come with remote work.
Supports Mental Health: Staying connected provides emotional support, essential for maintaining good mental health.
Helps Work-Life Balance: Keeping in regular touch with friends and family helps you maintain a healthy work-life balance by reminding you that there’s more to life than just work.
Encourages Personal Growth: Interacting with diverse perspectives can lead to personal development and broader worldviews.
Maintains Social Skills: Regular social interaction, even virtual, keeps our interpersonal skills sharp.
Builds a Support Network: A strong network can provide support in both career progression and personal challenges.
Nurtures Friendships: Your most meaningful friendships need attention, and enriching our lives and theirs.

The personal benefits of staying connected while working remotely are profound. They contribute to our overall happiness, growth, and satisfaction, both as professionals and individuals.

17 Tips for How to Stay Connected While Working from Home

1. Get on Social Media

Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram are quick ways to stay connected while working from home. Spend a few minutes browsing your news feeds and comment on a few photos and posts. Simple interactions let people know you exist and that you want to keep in touch. Stay connected with your professional network, too, by hopping on LinkedIn occasionally. Strike up conversations through direct messages to maintain relationships with fellow remote workers.

2. Use Online Collaboration Tools

Online tools like Slack, Basecamp, and Google Hangouts create a sense of community among remote teams. You can chat with coworkers just like you would in an office, contribute to group conversations periodically throughout the day, and private message colleagues with birthday wishes, condolences, and congratulations.

3. Hold Regular Meetings

Harvard Business Review found that one of the keys to successful remote team management is holding regular meetings or one-on-one conversations. If you’re a manager, consider holding weekly or monthly meetings to check in on your team. If you’re a team member, ask your manager to schedule time to chat. The more you communicate with colleagues, the more connected to the team you will feel.

4. Create a Daily “Commute”

Working from home returns the time you’d otherwise waste driving to and from work (likely during stop-and-go rush hour traffic). If you previously made personal calls during your daily drive, consider adding a “commute” to your work-at-home days. However, instead of sitting in a car, you can make coffee, throw in a load of laundry, and put the dishes away. Turn your previous commute chats into chore chats so that you’re staying connected with your favorite people while knocking off items on your to-do list.

5. Schedule Personal Phone Conversations

Life is busy. It’s normal to get caught up in careers and responsibilities and neglect relationships with close friends and family. However, the more you neglect your inner circle, you more disconnected you feel in the long run. It may sound strange to schedule personal calls like they’re business meetings, but it helps to dedicate time solely to your most important relationships, especially if you live in different time zones.

6. Set Calendar Reminders

Load up your calendar with birthdays, anniversaries, and other important events, and set reminder notifications so that you send emails and greeting cards on time. Though social media posts and text messages are nice, handwritten notes make a longer-lasting impact for special occasions.

7. Find a Remote Work Buddy

Author Dan Buettner tells Business Insider that work best friends improve our productivity and happiness. If you work on a remote team, find a couple people to chat with regularly. Regardless if the chats result in a deep, meaningful friendship, it’s nice to keep open communication with colleagues. If you have a friend or family member who works from home, consider meeting up for a work date. You can hold each other accountable and work through some of your telecommuting challenges together.

8. Make Lunch Plans

Just because you work from home doesn’t mean you can’t leave your house in the middle of the day. Make a lunch date with a friend, another remote worker, or neighbor. Staying connected could mean something as simple as getting some fresh air, trying a new restaurant, or exploring your neighborhood.

There’s no need to fight the lunch rush, however. Meet up an hour before or after the busy time so that you don’t have to deal with long lines and traffic. Better yet, schedule a virtual lunch with a fellow remote worker. Use an application like Skype to video conference while munching. It’s a great way to connect with someone who experiences similar work-life challenges.

9. Work at a Coffee Shop

Hit up a local coffee shop whenever you feel cooped up and stagnant. Sometimes, a quick conversation with a barista and room full of strangers is all you need to feel like you’re a part of society. Make it your mission to visit every coffee shop within a ten-mile radius. When you find your favorite location, chat with the baristas and they’ll get to know your preferences. Over time, you might recognize other regulars after a while and strike up a conversation.

10. Rent Coworking Space

When the coffee shop is too busy or distracting, consider renting a coworking space. Most spaces rent desks for the day, week, or month and include WiFi, printing services, and meeting rooms. Some coworking spaces even host events, classes, and social gatherings and offer free or discounted tickets to members.

11. Attend Professional Conferences and Events

Just about every industry has a professional organization that hosts an annual conference. Check out the local chapter and sign up for a networking event. If feasible, attend their national or international conference to learn about the latest best practices, upcoming technology, industry projections, and occupational training.

12. Join a Local Meetup Group

Meetups are fun ways to find people who share your personal and professional interests. Almost every city has meetup groups for hobbies and lifestyle activities such as running, biking, yoga, knitting, and wine tasting. There are also professional groups focused on knowledge sharing, career development, and discussing industry best practices. If you don’t find a group that suits your needs, consider starting your own group for remote workers. Finding other remote workers in your city can help you feel like you’re staying connected to your local community.

13. Dedicate Time for Family

Working from home isn’t the same as spending quality time with your family. Though you are physically present more often, it’s important to devote time exclusively to your loved ones. Plan weekly family nights where you completely shut down your remote office, turn off your computer, and silence all notifications.

14. Get to Know Your Neighbors

If you spend most of your time at home, you might as well get to know the people in your neighborhood. Start with a simple “hello” while getting your mail, bringing the trash cans in, walking the dog, or weeding the garden. Have a quick conversation with each encounter and look for common ground. Once you establish a sense of camaraderie, you’ll enjoy seeing familiar faces in your community, which can help make life feel homier and more secure.

15. Read the News

Spend a few minutes each day reading the daily headlines. Learning about what’s going on in the world makes you feel like you’re a part of it and less isolated in your private telecommuting universe.

16. Spend Time in Nature

Stroll through the woods during your lunch break, work offline at a neighborhood park, or sit by the water and daydream after you clock out. It’s amazing what a little sunshine can do to perk up your mood and make you feel energized. Even just a few minutes can center you and help you feel connected to everything else in the world.

17. Make Room for You

Devote time every day to take care of yourself. Exercise, meditate, journal, cook – whatever helps revive you. Give yourself a space on your priority list so that you stay in touch with who you are, where you are going, and what is truly important. Reward yourself for your hard work so that you stay connected to your inner self and know you are a priority in your life.

The Holistic Value of Connection in Remote Work

Mastering the art of staying connected while working from home is about striking the right balance. It’s not just about keeping the workflow smooth and maintaining professional relationships; it’s also about nurturing personal connections and our own mental well-being. Whether it’s through regular virtual meetups, engaging in shared activities, or simply keeping the lines of communication open, these connections form the backbone of a fulfilling remote work experience. They remind us that even in the most solitary of work environments, we are part of a community. By embracing these methods, we not only enhance our professional lives but also enrich our personal ones, ensuring that working from home is both a productive and rewarding experience.

Take the Next Step: Access Our Free ‘Working from Home Mindfully’ Course

Do you have any other tips on how to stay connected while working from home? Connect with Virtual Vocations on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube to share your thoughts and tips. We’d love to hear from you!