By
creating routines for a virtual team, you won’t feel disconnected, and you’ll
have something to look forward to social wise. Friendship is not built from one interaction; it grows gradually. According to the mere exposure effect, we unconsciously like those we are more exposed to. Scheduling an informal chat is great, but this chat needs to be repeated for a friendship to develop. The best way to do this is to put a standing meeting on your calendar,  perhaps once a week or once a month, depending on preference. That’s hard to recreate in a video chat, but making those connections isn’t impossible.

Make these about work and it becomes a fun, engaging way to reinforce important information or skills, which can help team members feel more confident in themselves. Breaking up a monotonous workday is like inserting an unexpected plot twist into a movie. Sometimes, how to make friends when you work from home the smallest things can have a larger impact than big events. Just saying something along the lines of ‘I miss you, fancy a catch up next week? ’ should be enough to get the conversation going again, and remind your work friend you’re thinking of them.

Ways to Make Friends Remotely

As a remote friend, the most important thing you can offer is your presence. When we emerge from the pandemic, remote work will remain the norm for many, so we’ll need to face these questions head-on. Here’s how to make sure distance isn’t a barrier when it comes to remote friendships.

Ways to Make Work Friends When Working Remotely

Use social networks and video conferencing tools to keep in touch on a regular basis. Keep each other up to date on how things are going by using available messaging resources (email, Hangouts, Slack, etc.). Organize after-work events and activities with colleagues so you can see each other more often. Work friendships are just like other types of friendships—they require effort on your part, so don’t forget to nurture these relationships.

Keep your work and personal spaces separate

It’s also a great unifier and an important part of many successful team relationships. Nothing says that you need to go out into the real world necessarily to learn how to make friends when you work from home. Sometimes, it’s the easiest and most obvious things that work better than others. While Facebook is a source for these groups, more active interest groups appear on Reddit or Meetup.com. All you need to do is sign up, search for the hobby or activity that you like to do, and go to one of their meetups.