I have a confession to make. Today, I felt lonely. All of my freelancer-business-owning friends were tied up or out of the city and everyone else works full time. On the days when you just feel like a bit of company, working for yourself can, at times, get a little bleak.

So, like any other right minded individual would do when friends can’t give you an answer, I turned to Google. When it comes to lonely freelancer days it seems I’m not so alone after all. There’s a stack of material and tips on what to do when you’re still in love with your business but craving companionship.

If you like the freedom and flexibility of running your own show, but more consumed by lonesome self-pity than doing your job, here’s a collection of tips to get you going again.

I’ve only listed points which you can still do while also being productive. Just because you’re feeling a case of the lonelies doesn’t mean you don’t have work to do…

freelanceswitch.com lists some great, practical tips – 11 to be exact. I found most of them quite relevant – speshly the ‘express it’ one. Here are my faves:

Microblog. Use Twitter, Plurk, Pownce, or your Facebook status and spend a few minutes sharing your thoughts, a link or whatever. Just don’t let it get too addictive.
Chat via IM. Unlike a phone call that ends as soon as you hang up, IM software allows you a permanent background connectedness to other people. If you need to ask a question or share something, it’s easy to do, get a response, and move on.
Express it. You’re a creative person. Write about it the loneliness of freelancing, draw a funny cartoon, paint “happy” colors, take an inspiring picture or come up with a logo or web design that is uplifting. Find a way to express your feelings first, then counteract that with a positive action.

Get the rest here: http://freelanceswitch.com/working/11-ways-to-banish-lonely-freelancer-syndrome/

onepageonly.net – I loved reading this highly amusing piece written by Jan – excerpts and link below.

You may be home alone, but you’re not the only freelancer out there. Don’t just stand there in your pyjamas. Network, stupid!
Location, location, location. …grab your phone and your laptop, find the nearest coffee place and sit on your butt on a cosy sofa, staring at other people.
Get a wife/husband. Ok, sorry. That’s just bad advice.
Seriously though. This may sound like a trivial thing to say, but you need to remember that you are not alone.

Read the full post (I enjoyed it): http://onepageonly.net/blog/freelancers-are-not-loners-socialize-at-work/

Freelancem.ag had lots of tips, but many of them required getting away from your job which is not always practical. They did have some good ones though:

Send an email to a friend, client, or colleague. Reach out to someone else with a friendly, newsy email. Chances are good that they’ll appreciate hearing from you.

Connect through social media. There is some evidence that staying in touch with friends through social media can help you to feel less lonely.
Be the first one to say “hello.” One of the biggest obstacles to connecting with others is the fear of the initial action. If you make the first move, others will likely reciprocate.

If you've got more time on your hands, you might like the rest: http://freelancem.ag/freelancing-basics/lonely/

My own personal remedy? Write, write, write. Work from a cafe with free wifi, good food and great people watching (like 1000 Pound Bend). And get yourself a cupcake. Immediately.

Now: time to get back to being a fabulous freelancer.

Yours,

Little Miss Melbourne xoxo

Little Miss Melbourne

city life and sojourns