Does Anyone Get Lonely?

[Barb Thornback]

Just wondering if anyone feels lonely at times working at home on a computer all day long?

Most of the time I feel great, then I have a day when I think 'what am I doing sitting here on my own with just a computer for a friend'!

Does anyone else feel like this sometimes?

Barb

[Steve Peters Benn]

Sometime it drives me mad. I am a very social person and used to be a bit of a corporate trouble shooter. I used to love sorting out bad managers, finding good ones, and all the interaction that involved.

I also used to spend a major amount of time in the Post / Production arena, but I tend to just deal with the management side of the business now. Still, it was (and still is) fun to deal with wacky media type (Eddie - I'm looking at you).

Seminars are my favourite thing - I love presenting. However, on a cold rainy day it does my head in something awful. I try and go for run or head to the gym.

Having said that, I do enjoy being in the office with Eddie etc, always fun. Although I hate office politics, I do miss the social side of it sometimes.

The lonely aspect of running a business extends to most entrepreneurs though, not just IM ones. That's as much to do with massive responsibility as interaction though....

[David Neale]

That's a great point and one rarely discussed. The last year or so I've been feeling a little of "is this all there is" myself. I wouldn't call it loneliness but a lifestyle that kind of sucks.

Other full time Internet guys in my area are talking more about this also and we have started taking our laptops to Starbucks or similar every Wednesday at noon just to get out.

I also "force" myself to the gym three times per week just to get out and have some social interaction.

I've always outsourced a little but the reality is if you want a more balanced lifestyle you MUST outsource more.

Of course if I could just get those passive income streams over the 10K a month mark than I'm sure I'd "get out more"

I'm getting there but unfortunately I'm still trading too many hours for dollars.

Originally Posted by Barb Thornback

Just wondering if anyone feels lonely at times working at home on a computer all day long?

Most of the time I feel great, then I have a day when I think 'what am I doing sitting here on my own with just a computer for a friend'!

Does anyone else feel like this sometimes?

Barb

[lakshaybehl]

Originally Posted by Barb Thornback

Just wondering if anyone feels lonely at times working at home on a computer all day long?

Most of the time I feel great, then I have a day when I think 'what am I doing sitting here on my own with just a computer for a friend'!

Does anyone else feel like this sometimes?

Barb

Hey Barb!

I know that feeling.. I have seen days where I worked for over 17 hours... And that is when you start hating it.

but in my case, my younger brother Sarthak (11 years old) is intelligenmt enough to leqarn it from me and apply it in teeny-weeny niches and make some nice change... so for me I have never been alone.

But5 the key is not to spend too much tiome in front of a computer... In stead working smart and outsourcing the redundant so that you go out and have some serious fun.

[ripsnorta2]

I have a cat. You're never lonely with a cat.

[ShayRockhold]

Hey, Barb!

The answer is yes! There are times when I get lonely. I have kids around, so I am not totally alone, but I still crave adult conversation.

I started a local home biz mamas group and meet with them twice a month. (They are asking for more frequent meetings! LOL) I have the meetings at a local place with a play area, so the kiddos can come and have fun, too, while the moms can socialize.

I find that getting together with other ladies that work from home helps me not be so lonely. In-between meetings we chat on the phone and such, too.

We work together in other ways, too, such as joint advertising and marketing.

[BIG Mike]

There's almost always someone around in my house besides me, so no, I never get lonely. If not the kids, my wife, relatives dropping in from dawn till dusk, etc., etc. I crave loneliness, LOL.

Seriously, I think it's important you either get out and socialize or have people over to clear your mind. I hear a lot about folks in IM becoming isolated and it's not good fro your mental or physical health, which in turn leads to lowered productivity and higher percentage of errors.

Do yourself a favor - plan time for yourself every day alone, away from the computer and time with family/friends, even if it's just for coffee and gossip. An hour a day not focusing on IM does wonders for clearing your mind.

[jhongren]

I don't get lonely as I still hang around in office working on my full time job. I work with children and they fill my days with happiness.

While working on long term project, I do feel lonely. In the sense when things get routine and we are just sloughing through the quiet nights.

Cheers,
John

[Kim Standerline]

It's one of the reasons why I won't give up my offline job.

I'd turn into an utter slob and never get dressed. (I'm bad enough as it is now)

I have to outsource much of my IM biz because I work offline, but I don't care. The social interaction is important to me.

Kim

[Christie Love]

Try joining a few organizations. Meetups are great as well as community involvements. It's different than having a job on the side because when you are social, it's for fun not stressful.

[Jean Morgan]

I am a very social person!

Since going full time at marketing and leaving my day job I really do miss meeting the people. I don't have an answer to it at present, I have been trying to find one for weeks now to no avail. I may be going to sign up for an evening class to see if that injects some life into me.

Jean

[Andyhenry]

Hi Barb,

You should come out and play more.

I'm in Singapore at the moment, but lots of us get together in London for lunch regularly.

Fellow warrior Martin Avis organises the timings and venue - PM him to get more info.

Regards,
Andy

[luboff]

If you ever feel like a chat to a fellow Brit to tell of your woes or your triumphs, feel free to email me at harry at inform101.com

[Vince Runza Online]

I appreciate solitude, but I still need to get out and about. That's why doing what I'm doing for local businesses fits right in with the balance I need: solitude to gregariousness.

[Eric Johnson]

I never get lonely. I have Deb...

People look down on our love because of the unfortunate plasticity of her skin but I tell you that they do not understand the love that we possess.

Jealous...they are all jealous.........

[drr]

It's a really good question - it really depends on your personality type.

Personally, I don't get lonely mostly because my dear other half runs by business with me - we also have an unusually gobby cat. And when I need a break (usually from the moggy) I just pop off and work at a coffee shop.

You have to love our industry
__________________
Internet Business Entrepreneur - Lifetime Membership - Don't Pay A Hundred & Fifty Bucks, Get In For Free: Click Here

[Michael Gentry]

Yeah I certainly get lonely from time to time. IM professionally is the best thing that ever happen to me but that is about the only drawback.

[Kim Standerline]

Originally Posted by Eric Johnson

I never get lonely. I have Deb...

People look down on our love because of the unfortunate plasticity of her skin but I tell you that they do not understand the love that we possess.

Jealous...they are all jealous.........

[Nightengale]

Hi Barb,

I think that loneliness and isolation can be a big problem when you're self-employed which was the reason for my post "Do you get out and meet people in the real world?" You can see it here: (Do You Get Out and Meet People in The Real World?)

I didn't get specific about loneliness being a big reason for needing to get out.

I like the idea of taking a laptop to Starbucks or the local Barnes and Noble. But 1) I don't have a laptop right now and 2) that still doesn't address our basic need for relationships with other people. A bunch of strangers buzzing around you in the coffeeshop or bookstore doesn't count as meaningful relationships.

Michelle

[Calvin Woon]

That's why the Warrior Forum is here eh? Certainly helps to kill some boredom chatting here!

Also, it will be great if you get to know more like-minded friends and brainstorm ideas. Not only helps in keeping you entertained, great JVs can be forged too!

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

From the answers, it looks like online work loneliness would be a great sub-niche for the Internet marketing niche.

Hmmmmm...

Maybe it already is. On first glance, the Warrior Forum looks like it is a perfect example of supplying that sub-niche.

Michael

[Jakehyten]

UHHH excuse me... Look at me. Does it look like I could ever possibly get lonely?

[SimonHarrison]

I sometimes find myself having a fully fledged conversation about my quality score on a PPC campaign, which wouldn't be strange if it wasn't that Harry , who I'm discussing it with , is my springer spaniel.

Quite often I'm on my own for 3-4 hours at a time, the wife likes to go out in the day and see friends, family etc, she takes the little one with her, so it's just me and the dog.

I force myself to get out a couple of times a week and socialise, we always do something with friends on the weekends, so I'm only a part time hermit.

Years ago I worked in a typical office and I sometimes miss the sociable element of that environment, but then I remember getting up and doing a 9-5 sucked badly and I go back to chatting with the dog.

[Jenni Mac]

Very rarely, I'm very used to working alone! Be running my business on my own now for 20 plus years and I love it!

My family is way too huge to feel lonely for too long and then I have a lovely set of friends who I see regularly!

Widening the social circle is the obvious solution, especially away from IM!

[QuantumSuccess]

Hi Barb,

I assume you wanted to leave your 'nine to five' job because you saw more advantages in working from home ( things like the potential to make more money, being around your family, etc.).

Try everyday (best in the morning before you start working) to think about the reasons why you left your job and the goals you wanted to achieve by becoming an entrepreneur, working from home. It must have been something that motivated you very much at that time because otherwise you wouldn't have left your job in the first place.

By thinking about it again and visualizing the positive outcomes you want to achieve, you'll feel this motivation and the exiting feelings again. And that makes it much easier and way more fun to "attack" your daily to-do-list. :-)

And last but not least, make sure you organize your work and automate it as much as possible. This will reduce your daily working hours and you'll have more time to be around your family, friends, etc.

Hope this helps.

Peter

[Platinum Matt]

Yes, it does get lonely sometimes. Real lonely. Depressing even.

But it is the lifestyle we choose, and there are lots of things you can do about it.

Just don't forget real life. Start some clubs. Be social and make a conscious effort to do so.

[Nspire]

Yes, I do find that i get lonely at times to combat loneliness i attend meetup groups, church events and set-up meetings with people of like mind.

[Arindam Chakraborty]

Originally Posted by Barb Thornback

Just wondering if anyone feels lonely at times working at home on a computer all day long?

Most of the time I feel great, then I have a day when I think 'what am I doing sitting here on my own with just a computer for a friend'!

Does anyone else feel like this sometimes?

Barb

I cannot believe that someone else here could feel exactly like me!

Yep, it is a lonely world out there, more so because I am naturally an introvert and don’t socialize much.

Time was when I used to remain cocooned inside my room in the name of 'business'. Then I saw that it was actually a very bad approach. Now I have made a few friends online and chat with them. Sometimes I also post in this forum or simply lurk just to while away time (it definitely helps to get rid of the boredom). Sometimes I log into my Clickbank and Paypal accounts to see how much money I have made so far - that kinda motivates me and pushes me forward.

Other things I do: go for shopping at least once every week, and take a definite break on Sunday!

Arindam

[Arindam Chakraborty]

Originally Posted by TOPGUN08

Im usually too busy to think about that lol

Haha! That's too funny

[jedz]

I felt the same way everytime I think those time and moments that I've lost with my friends and family because of my job but Im used to it now. I enjoyed my tasks and that made me feel better.

[Jesus Perez]

[David Hooper]

Common problem. That's one reason I think it's important for anybody who works from home to get out daily.

[tush]

I wish I could get time to be lonely. I am in network marketing we hold calls and virtula meetings.. If not, my son/husband are always making noise.. some times I wish I could have more time to feel "lonely'...

For those with a problem, why not get in touch with afew people in different businesses and get in touch once in a while. Also, having a routine say to go to a gym, home meetings could be a good thing. Lonilness is not good

[Danielle_B]

I have a -really- great friend of mine who also works from home; he does Data Integration and is on phone calls and conference calls through his PC all day long. We sit on Yahoo and chat while we work. It passes the time nicely; he's like a cubicle mate, just in Minnesota. He shoots me interesting things off the net here and there and I pass him blurbs from my favorite online cartoons or interesting news stories that relate to our political gab fests.

When he or I are "out sick", the day goes a lot slower and not nearly as enjoyable.

Find someone who works at home like you, to share your day with. Everyone should have an IM buddy that doesn't drive them bonkers, respects client calls and AFK times and is just generally easy going. What's more, I can bounce business ideas off him all the time and he's great at giving quality feedback, not just fluff.

Best,

~Danielle

[Rachel Goodchild]

go work in a cafe

[RenaissanceMan]

just have plenty of non internet marketing activities and you'll be fine!

[discrat]

Shoot ,I am pretty much adaptable to all environments. I love being home all day. I got my Pool to go out to which overlooks the beautiful Desert Mountains. I luv the solitude.

[Lloyd Buchinski]

One of my little excuses for doing things lately is "Bored, lonely,
absolutely nothing better to do, thought I'd try work (or
whatever)." It's far enough from my situation that I think it's
funny but at first I was a bit worried about that one, because
there was a time it would have had a serious side. But it has
been nice and people do enjoy it.

Another one is when something goes wrong for someone, they've
just missed an elevator and are upset about it, or bumped their
head: "Well, my whole life is like that, why not yours?" After about
the 10th time the "why not yours" took on a nice nasty tone that
made it funnier. But the "my whole life is like that" part did come
out of a time when it was a little too close to being true.

[Kelly Verge]

Yes.

The "need to get out" was a big part of the impetus that caused me to start walking. I started out by walking a few miles every evening and that one small step has led to a full-blown lifestyle change. I'm down 85 lbs. and in better shape than I was in college.


I still don't have a laptop. I plan on picking one up in the post-Thanksgiving Day sales just so that I have a bit more flexibility. There are still days where I feel like I'm a prisoner in my house.

[Chris W. Sutton]

Nah, I never get lonely because I have the Hillbilly Marketer right here with me. He's great for conversation but I'm still working on getting him housebroken!

[CambriaCorp]

Not at all! I like to work alone in front of my computer and it seems that there are so many things to do yet I have too little time to finish it all. But, if it's a Saturday night of course there's no reason why a glass of "Cosmopolitan" or "Baileys" should be disregarded. Sundays are mostly spent with family and before I knew it, it's time to get back to work again. How does that sound? I hope I didn't bore fellow warriors!.....

[Bruce NewMedia]

Yes. internet marketing is a very isolating occupation. I try to visit local clients, family who live near by and friends. ...and as someone mentioned I work sometimes in a coffee house.
_____
Bruce

[lennelljones]

I rarely get lonely - my family (both biological and church) loves gathering and hanging out. My phone is ringing now...

[Aaron H]

Had a couple of spells of solitary, once when trying to set up as a web designer and another time working on my employers website at home for 6 weeks. I've now learned to pull myself away from the computer every now and again and get out and see people, I think I'd go mad if I didn't see anyone for days on end.

[Bishop81]

Originally Posted by ripsnorta2

I have a cat. You're never lonely with a cat.

Try 3 cats and a dog.

[Jeff Henshaw]

Just wondering if anyone feels lonely at times working at home on a computer all day long?

Most of the time I feel great, then I have a day when I think 'what am I doing sitting here on my own with just a computer for a friend'!

Does anyone else feel like this sometimes?

I am by nature an introvert and not a particularly "social" person. I used to manage a large number of professional staff in several office locations, before I began to work for myself from home.

I do miss the regular interaction with those staff and clients, but do I feel lonely? No. I much prefer what I do now. Quite frankly if I never met anyone in person again for the rest of my life, I think that I could survive it!

As has already been posted - feeling lonely in certain situations probably depends on an individual person's personality.

This is a very good thread on an important topic not often discussed. Thanks to Barb for initiating it.

Regards,
Jeff Henshaw.

[Cash Blasters Online]

Does anyone get lonely, well..........my 20.00 dallar bill is lonely for a 100.00 bill, he wants to move up in the world.

But truthfully, working all day on a computer is NOT NORMAL even if I am good at it......can't wait till the day I can retire and turn it off and do somthing else.

No, I don't get lonely at all. I am an introvert, though, and not being around a lot of people is one of the big attractions to working from home. Plus, my husband is a student and home a lot so if I want to spend time with someone, I spend time with him! Sometimes we'll sit in the living room - he with his school books, I with my laptop, and get stuff done. When I lived near my family I'd often go visit them or go out to lunch with a friend or my sister. I try hard to get my work done during the day because my husband and I go out several times a week, often meeting up with friends.

[derrickp]

When I was doing internet marketing full time I serious just about went crazy from spending so much time alone. At first is was great but after a while it was terrible. I think everyone will get to that point at sometime, humans need a certain amount of social contact, even if you are and introvert like I still classify myself as.

[X]

I don't get lonely, but that's the cool
thing about split-personality. I always
have someone to rant at, even when
nobody wants to pay to hear it.

When I do need a little people energy,
I go work at the library. They have a
nice quiet room with big windows.

I can look at the people and observe
them as they go about their activities
online.

Fascinating. Most of them never go to
an Internet marketing site.

That's as close as I usually get to
real people - that's the only way I can
remain as anti-social as I am.

X