Caitlin Kelly has a successful career as a freelance writer for national publications. Working from home, she has no nasty commute or annoying office colleagues, gets to call the shots, and doesn't need to dress to impress--or even get dressed at all. The perfect arrangement? Not quite. "One day I asked myself, 'what's the difference between solitary confinement and freelancing from home?'" says Kelly. "In solitary, they bring you three meals a day."
Telecommuters can tell you that no matter how much you love yourself, like your freedom, or enjoy the actual work, there's a lot of alone time--and often loneliness. The irony is that the same technology that allows us to set up shop anywhere and stay connected (cell phones, e-mail, texting, and videoconferencing) also contributes to our feeling disconnected from others.
As Spike Gillespie, an Austin, Texas, journalist and blogger on work issues puts it, "Technology is a blessing and a curse. I have four dogs that help keep me company, but I'm prone to depression and working alone can be isolating." When she starts to feel blue, she takes her computer to a coffee shop. "There's nothing that replaces the energy of having other human beings around," Gillespie says.
The big disconnect
Stephen Humphrey, a business professor at Florida State University, agrees. He recently reviewed 259 studies and discovered that social interaction is one of the most important factors for job satisfaction. Humphrey says that research on virtual teams shows that, to be most effective, members first need to spend time together to jumpstart the project. "I can type that e-mail or instant message or talk on the phone, but it's not the same as being in the same location," maintains Humphrey. "You don't have the richness of communication or social experience and you're more prone to burnout."
Even those who have grown up on technology aren't immune to loneliness. "Although the newer generation may find more fulfillment in [electronic] social interactions with friends and colleagues as compared to those of us who did not grow up with all this technology, they still will have some level of loneliness and isolation," says Humphrey, although they may be more at ease with telecommuting.
Experts say the key to being content while working from home is creating opportunities to be with people. Connected workers are happy and productive workers. Mother Jones magazine reports that one analysis of 40 years of research found a "strong correlation between the level of social interaction at work and job satisfaction and productivity." According to an article in the New York Times, IBM, where 30 percent of employees work fulltime from home, found that isolation starts to set in after about three days without interaction.
Heather Boerner, a San Francisco freelancer who writes a blog called "Serenity for the Self-Employed," gets together with two colleagues twice a week. She also has joined a writers' group that meets once a month, has a goal buddy she talks to daily, and is part of an online support and information exchange group for those in her field. The social contact and structure keep her from feeling lonely, but she had to take the initiative to put those things in place. That's something telecommuters often overlook, believing that connection will happen naturally, the way it does in the office.
Connecting through co-working
Telecommuters' desire to have connection happen naturally might be what's behind the "co-working" movement, which is gaining ground in the U.S. and abroad. People come together in cafes or private residences, or they rent communal space (which ranges from $25/day to $475/month) to work on their own projects. They might share leads, network, brainstorm ideas and, in some cases, collaborate.
Co-working setups vary, but typically there is Wi-Fi, a common area, a conference room for meeting clients, and sometimes dedicated phone lines and a printer.
Tony Bacigalupo, a telecommuting project manager for a web development company and aspiring entrepreneur, helped found a small New York City co-working group called CooperBricolage, which meets at a downtown coffee shop with the blessing of the owner. His introduction to co-working began with Jelly, a multi-U.S. city (and Sydney, Australia) group that meets every two weeks in someone's apartment. He now hosts Jelly sessions out of his five bedroom midtown Manhattan apartment for as many as 25 independent web designers, programmers, freelance writers, and entrepreneurs at a time.
Smaller steps still get you there
If co-working seems like overkill but you'd still like to be a little more connected than you are, try these ideas.
- Find a cozy coffee shop with Wi-Fi and either work alone or meet up with a friend or colleague. Even the white noise of others talking can help you feel connected.
- Schedule a time that suits your work rhythm to see a friend or other telecommuter. Meet at the gym, walk your dogs, or go out for lunch.
- Balance your life. Pursue a hobby, volunteer, join a club or organization, get involved in your community.
- Organize a group of independent workers and meet every few weeks for dinner or a beer.
- Join a cyber support group to network, share knowledge, and vent.
Above all, don't be too hard on yourself. Loneliness is not limited to the self-employed. A recent study of nearly 1,300 adults found that more than a third were lonely, with those in their forties plagued the most. The latest U.S. Census figures show that 25 percent of all U.S. households consist of just one person--the makings of loneliness even before you throw in working alone--while a study published in the American Sociological Review noted that the number of close confidents we have has shrunk from three to two since 1985.
According to Ellen Kossek, professor of Human Resource Management and Organizational Behavior at Michigan State University, when your office is at home, your job is to ask yourself, "How do I reconnect with that part of [working in an office with others] that was meaningful and fun and gave me energy?" And then, with some experimenting, you can have the best of both work worlds--being on your own without being lonely.
Boston freelancer Sally Abrahms, who writes about workplace issues and usually likes her own company, can get pretty sick of herself after solitary stints.
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