Additionally, just because you’re home and can let service people into the house or take care of pets doesn’t mean other family members should assume you always will. I say “morning routine,” but not everyone who works from home follows a nine-to-five schedule. Yours might be a “getting started” routine at another time of day. Nevertheless, look for an existing habit you have and try to start your work day after it. That said, one of the best benefits of remote work is flexibility, when the job allows for it.

When on Zoom, your background—real or virtual—serves as a conversation starter. It says something about you and lets people see what you have in common. how to make friends when you work from home ” Co-workers get a sense of your hobbies and tastes from the musical instruments, books, sports equipment, art, photos, or belongings in the background.

Create a drop-in happy hour via Zoom for coworkers or clients.

Don’t try to force friendships upon colleagues that may be closed off to it. In a remote setting, it may be more difficult to connect with coworkers, which is why it’s so important to engage in non-related work conversations where possible. Share your personal experiences, memes, cooking recipes or whatever else it is that your coworkers are discussing. Small talk doesn’t have to be hard if you are ready to ask questions. The key is to listen, remember and ask followup questions the next time you have the chance. Simply remembering something about the other person’s life—and caring enough to want to know more—will go far in deepening the friendship. For many Americans, our jobs offer much more than a way to pay the bills.

You should also use this time to offer your assistance. Is there a project or task you could help your colleague with? Demonstrating your willingness to work collaboratively and support your team members will build trust and aid in the development of meaningful workplace friendships. Every boss will like that research finding—and here’s another one.

Ways to stay connected with friends and family when working from home

Managers can also create opportunities for employees to meet in-person and take full advantage of these opportunities. When people travel to various sites, have them reach out to the people they work with.

And because working virtually is different from office work in so many ways, it also means rethinking how and why we make friends at work in the first place. Check out our menu of Career Services provided by our team of certified professionals, including resume and career coaching services for remote jobseekers. 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. Whether you’re going to a scheduled mass play date or attending your kid’s sporting events, you can chat with other parents. At the very least, you have something in common as an icebreaker. No, you’re probably not actually insane, but this definition applies to an assumably large amount of lonely remote workers.

Consider adding them on social media

It’s a great way for coworkers on different teams to meet up and learn more about each other and their respective jobs. Let everyone know you’ll be online at a certain time, taking your coffee break, and invite the team to join you. Or encourage others to set up their own virtual coffee breaks. Stay online, forget about work, and chat for a few minutes. If you’re a manager, set the stage for your employees to get to know each other. Start every call with something that helps team members learn about each other.