This could be a channel to share tips for keeping those houseplants alive, swap recipes and dinner ideas, or talk about the books people are reading. Just because there’s no seltzer dispenser to gossip around, no cafeteria to gather in, or no office to go to, how to make friends when you work from home 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.

Look for opportunities to meet up in-person, or online, that give you a chance to develop the friendship. A dinner, a virtual coffee, a walk and talk, or a post-work drink — all get you both out of the work headspace. Compliments make people feel confident and you never know when someone could use a little boost. You should offer genuine compliments to people whenever you can.

get started

One reason these are successful is because everyone is coming into the meeting ready to chat about things outside of work. Sometimes trying to connect with someone before a meeting or when asking a quick question doesn’t work well when the other person is busy. These remote happy hours are great because you know that everyone is there to chat. We know that having friends at work can have a positive impact on your work life.

The Importance of Work Friendships

If you already have some experience, you can quickly find like-minded people by establishing close communication and friendship. Chat with different people, as someone new comes here every day in coworking spaces. Perhaps there, you will make friends and even future business partners to create your start-up when you work from home.

• There are plenty of online communities, apps, and websites that can aid you in your search to find a friend.
• You don’t have to spend extra time traveling by public transport and eventually getting late to your workspace.
• But if you see it as easy and fun, you’re more likely to follow through.

How do you make friends out in the real world when WFH/remote?

They can provide comfort and support in stressful situations and they can also help uplevel our careers. “Our work relationships are unlike any others,” says Lauren Cook, a California-based therapist and career coach. Up to 80% of jobs get filled through personal professional connections. Here’s how to make sure you are nurturing these critical relationships.

Schedule the occasional coffee break together over video, and as you begin to get to know each other, you will start to open up more. You might even think of something you can do together over video chats. You might not have much time to talk with someone if you can only speak for a few minutes each day, but patience is the name of the game — lasting friendships take time. In some ways, making friends virtually isn’t that different from online dating in that everyone seems to be waiting for someone else to make the first move. What that means is that, just like on Tinder, nothing happens and therefore nothing keeps happening.

• Companies like Afni stand out as ideal workplaces for remote professionals.
• Join them and don’t be afraid to contribute to or spark a conversation.
• People in an office often schedule happy hours right after work so why can’t you do the same if you are remote?
• Building friendships while working remotely might seem tricky, but it’s absolutely doable.
• I don’t know about you, but I have had to be really strategic about creating a personal rhythm since the beginning of the pandemic.
• In real life or online, friendships are rarely built in a day.

As you discovered, several ways exist to address isolation when working from home. Remember, building a friendship requires time and effort, so be patient and persistent. Feel free to put yourself out there, start conversations, and participate actively in various activities. Since we live in a digital age, many volunteer initiatives and fundraising events have moved online. This enables remote workers such as yourself to offer your time and skills and get involved in activities from the comfort of your own home. Although children are a handful and can take up a ton of your time, they’re a great way for you to meet other parents.

Talk to one new person every day

You don’t need to be a sports fanatic to get some exercise and meet new people at sporting events. Again, it’s just the act of going that can lead to social interactions and help you learn how to make friends when you work from home. Even these small experiments will improve your skills and increase your level of socialization when you work from home. You don’t have to go through it all alone – you can always take a friend’s help if you’re scared of meeting people on your own. Having a friend at work is a great way to strengthen your mental health, and even boost productivity. All of these are becoming increasingly essential in the age of working from home.

Try Coworking Spaces

As Patricia starts a new role remotely, we revisit some key tips on how to make friends at work while remote! To make friends with your colleagues, you’re going to need to let your guard down a little bit. You don’t need to share deep secrets, but you should try to make interactions about more than just work. If you’re a manager, for example, your direct reports may not feel comfortable connecting with you on social media. And some people intentionally keep their networks on social platforms small—or separate from their professional life.

So even if you’ve suffered from burnout or loneliness, make yourself the harbinger of good things to come. Nothing says that you need to go out into the real world necessarily to learn how to make friends when you work from home. Sometimes, it’s the easiest and most obvious things that work better than others. Even if it gets you out of the house, it’s a step in the right direction. I’ve been seeing a lot of posts where some of us are having trouble building friendships outside of work when WFH. I myself have struggled and continue to do so due to living in rural America.

Use existing communication channels

Making new friends is not as straightforward or easy as it looks in 90s movies. Being an adult in today’s world comes with its own set of complications. Not only do Millennials and Gen Z (Zennials) have to find and make friends, but they also have to deal with the added pressure of social media and maintaining an online persona. Many different circumstances lead us to want to find and build new friendships. Moving to a new city or country, a big break-up, or as is common in the last couple of years, switching to remote work. Any of these are bound to make us feel the need to get out there and make new friends.

Initiate virtual coffees or cocktails.

This is likely because when we only focus on work, we don’t reveal anything about ourselves. Let’s face it, it’s harder to make good connections on distributed teams. Working from home has become the new normal for many of us, but one thing we might miss from the office is the social aspect.