Isolation

Put on a pretty dress ;)

Today's Question: How do you keep from becoming a hermit?

The hardest part of running your own home business (besides scraping together a living) would be the isolation. Since I work at home I don't have colleagues to keep me company, pep me up when I'm feeling down, to help me brainstorm ideas or to go out with after work. It can get a bit lonely. I also don't have many excuses to get out of the house, sometimes I can be inside for days if I get stuck in a rut or if we're having a particularly gray rainy week in Stockholm. I only have to go to the post office and the printshop just twice a week; and the grocery store of course (don't want to starve).  One great thing about me is that I would never get caught dead wearing pajamas or sweats all day (this part's easy since I don't own a pair of either) so I always get properly dressed every morning.

I'm such a lucky girl because my bf is in school still and often studies at home with me; so we get to see each other more often than more couples... so I'm usually not that lonely but we're isolated together...

I've actually started to embrace the isolation. I'm a bit of an introvert by nature and love my own company, so freelancing really suits me and my personality. I love working from home and feeling free. I don't get distracted by my home (more often than not I put off cleaning or doing lazy home lounging because I love my job so much.) Also, I feel as though I should savor these quiet days for the days in the future when I'll never again be alone (i.e. when I become a Mommy with lots of little noisy wonderfully distracting kiddies.)

I'm also hoping that one day my business will grow so that I will be able to rent a studio space and even hire an assistent. 

A few tips to take to keep from becoming a hermit:

• Get out of the house; even if it's just to go buy a carton of milk. Fresh air is the best!
• Take your work to a cafe or to the park during the summer, so at least you feel like you're being social.
• Make an effort to meet your ladies for an after work drink now and again.
• Put on a pretty dress or do your make up really pretty even if you'll be at home all day. Makes you feel less like a shlub.
• Embrace your quiet peaceful days.





p.s. I of course wrote this a few days ago, hope you don't think I'm working too hard on my romantic mini vacation :)