Do you dream of working from home but you’re nervous about going it alone? Before I started my online working lifestyle, I almost talked myself out of taking the plunge. I bounced around the idea of getting a new “regular” job because I didn’t think I could handle rambling around in the house, all by my lonesome, thinking: “will I be lonely working from home?”.

I’ve had many people tell me they want to be part of the remote work force but they just don’t want to be all by themselves.

But take it from me, the fear of loneliness is not a good reason to keep you from fulfilling the dream of working at home. You won’t be lonely if you don’t want to be.

Here’s how you can work from home and not be lonely:

Will You Be Lonely? Not If You Do These Things

Sneak In A Video Chat

Skype, FaceTime and Tango are so easy to use, you can sneak in a video call to a friend or family over your computer, laptop, smart phone, or tablet. There’s nothing like meeting face-to-face, even if you’re miles apart. Kind of makes it feel like you’ve stepped away from work for a while. And, while we’re on the topic, video chatting is a popular way for employers to meet their interviewees.

Get Out Of The House. Literally.

Walk around your neighborhood. Go to the gym. Spend a few hours at the mall. Whatever you can do to get you out of the house for a while DO IT! You’ll be glad you did. Just seeing other people out and about reminds you that there are other people out there. Even if you don’t talk to them.

Get Online – But Not For Work

Have a hobby? Join an online community where like-minded people hang out. Not only does this let you do a little bragging about your hobby accomplishments, you can meet people. I know, you probably will never meet them in person, but you can at least pretend you do.

Make An Effort To Mingle

This is a hard one for me, which is why I said “effort”. I’m not the most social of creatures, and I’m sure everyone would agree that it’s kinda hard to make friends while shopping. But there’s always room for nice talk. A few weeks ago at Kohl’s, while looking at hypo-allergenic earrings, I struck up a little conversation with a lady who was also looking for earrings. I told her about my favorite Etsy seller of titanium earrings for my sensitive ears. No, we’re not new BFFs but it was nice to talk to someone other than my dog.

Take Your Work With You

Pack up your laptop, your jug of coffee, a few snacks and hit the bricks. Work in the park. Or Starbucks. Or while getting a pedicure. Although that defeats the purpose of a pedi.  Just get out of that stuffy little office of yours and put in a few hours of work elsewhere. Even if you don’t talk to other people, at least you’re out there among them.

It’s Easier To Meet People When You’re Alone

When you’re a work-at-homer, it’s easier to meet new people who have similar interests if you go at it on your own – away from the comfort of your spouse or besties. If you just stick with your usual group of people, you wind up spending most of the time socializing with them. If you were to go out alone, you have a better chance of striking up a conversation with an interesting stranger.

When you’re alone, you’ll find more opportunities to naturally talk about things you have in common and learn new ways to do your job.

Alone Does Not Equal Lonely

Even though it’s a good thing to get out into the world and socialize, sometimes you just want be alone. But being alone doesn’t mean you’re lonely. It just means there are no distractions. No conversations. Nothing.

I love being alone !  Sometimes I go to the lake and do a little fishing. Sometimes I just sit on the back deck and catch up on my reading. And, believe it or not, sometimes I even get up super early in the morning and put in an hour of work time.

Still Thinking “Will I Be Lonely Working At Home” ?

If you’re still wondering if you’ll be lonely if you start working remotely, maybe you’re not cut out to work from home. But if you want to give it a go – which I really encourage you to do because it’s GREAT – don’t worry about the little bit of alone time you’ll have. Think of it as an adventure to hang out with others as well as new networking opportunities.

Don’t let the fear of loneliness keep you from starting a work from home job.