Recognizing Entrepreneur Loneliness and Adapting

So many of us strive to get out of the ‘rat race’ and start working on some thing we are passionate about. It’s a very different lifestyle to the 9-5. You are now managing your own time. Motivating yourself, working towards goal and dealing with all the ups and downs that come with the entrepreneurial lifestyle.

Being an entrepreneur isn’t for everyone. In fact, it’s a very narrow and focused way to live that arguably is either in your DNA or not. The majority of people are happy and satisfied being ‘comfortable’. Knowing they have a guaranteed pay check each month and are not expected to do any more, or any less.

Entrepreneurs however have a much different outlook. They are motivated by new challenges, projects, chasing down new ideas and building their own business and brand.

One of the biggest challenges a lot of entrepreneurs face is loneliness. Especially if you have been working in a busy, social environment previously. You can be busy for 16 hours of the day, but without social interaction you can feel like something is missing.

Loneliness and lack of social interaction can lead to serious metal concerns in the long-term. Such as depression, anxiety, self-doubt and more. The knock-on affect being a loss of motivation and productivity. So feeling lonely and missing out on social interaction can be very damaging to both your health and business.

With that being said, let’s look at some ways you can break the cycle and put some life back into your social activity. While maintaining your business and keeping motivated.

Learn a New Skill

Learning new skills stimulates a lot of new emotions and feelings. Your body will actually produce more endorphin’s and your brain will develop new neurons. You will feel more alive and have something to look forward to and focus on outside of your business.

Look into skills that involve other people too. If you’re learning and instrument or how to dance for example there are plenty of groups or classes you join. This will put you in contact with like-minded people and plenty of easy conversation starters. chances are you will make a few new friends along the way.

Join a Social Group

It’s easy to get wrapped up in your business or whatever you are focusing on and forget to see friends. Joining a group revolving around a topic you’re interested in is a great idea. It’s something I did a long time ago and I’m still part of the groups.

Have a look on meetup.com. This is where people advertise their groups and give some information about what to expect. I’m sure you will find something near to you that you would love to go to. So don’t dwell on it, just put your name down and make it happen.

Disconnect from Online and Go Outside

This almost sounds a little patronizing. But if you’re reading this I bet you could benefit from turning off your smart phone and taking a walk. Just being outside is great for mental health. It gives you a time to think and reflect on things.

Interacting with people in shops, other dog walkers, neighbors, whatever or whoever – it’s fun and interesting. If you can meet with friends and family even better. But remember to leave the devices at home, switch off from work when socializing.

Practice Being Mindful

Being mindful helps you to be presence in the moment. This allows you to appreciate everything that’s around you and be more aware of how you are spending your time and how you really feel.

Instead of just going through the motions each day you will build up a better appreciation for yourself and others. This alone helps relieve some of the feelings of being alone. As well as encouraging you to be more social.

Remind Yourself Why You’re Doing What You’re Doing

There was a reason why you broke away from the norm. You wanted to follow the path you’re on, not just because you wanted to but because it’s an important part of who you are.

Remind yourself why you’re an entrepreneur. What is it about the lifestyle that satisfies you and drives you to pursue it? It’s easy to feel alone when you’re on a different journey to the norm. Reminding yourself what gets you fired up can give you that boost you need to expand in your social areas.

Finding a work-life balance and expanding your social circles takes time. It’s an important part of your self-development and journey however, so don’t neglect friends and family no matter how busy you are.