A lot of people across the world have family and friends in one location, and work on another location. If the distans is too far for commuting it's a challenge to maintain good relationship, but it's not impossible. Here are some tips for coping with longdistance workplaces without loosing contact with your loved ones.
Communication tools and technology
Today, fortunately, there are various apps, programs, and technological solutions that facilitate communication with family remotely, such as video calls, messaging apps, and social media. With video calls, even the youngest family members can engage in conversations, and by seeing each other, the emotional distance becomes a bit smaller, even if the physical distance is great.
Establish communication routines
By establishing a daily routine, it becomes easier to adjust other activities of the day and free up time concurrently. Discuss how you can create routines that suit you, even if you have different daily schedules and perhaps even different time zones. Maybe it suits you to have short bedtime conversations? Or perhaps longer weekend calls might be a better solution for you and your family? Regardless, it's good to have a plan to make it easyer to respect each other's time and reduce the risk of things falling by the wayside.
Sharing micro moments
By sharing photos, thoughts, and small moments throughout the day, a sense of togetherness is created, even if you're not physically together. It's easy to send some short messages throughout the day; it doesn't have to take more than a minute or two. Whether it's the sun shining, completing a project, having dinner with colleagues, or reminiscing about a memory, by sharing these little moments, you're including your loved ones in your daily life and showing that they're on your mind.
Plan remote activities
Explore the various ways to engage in shared activities remotely. During the pandemic, we learned a lot about how to socialize from a distance, an experience that proves valuable when working far from home. This can be done through classic video calls or specialized apps.
- Arrange a game night with apps like Houseparty or Jackbox Games, or online gaming via consoles like Meta Quest or X-box live.
- Have a virtual dinner, either a singlehanded datenight, or a bigger dinnerparty over Zoom or Skype.
- Host movie nights together with synced screens, using services like Netflix Party
- Exercise together using connected fitness apps like Zwift or Squaddy
- Enroll in online classes or workshops together on topics of mutual interest, such as photography, painting, or language learning. You can discuss your progress and share experiences.
Random Acts of Kindness
Surprise each other with small gestures of kindness, such as sending virtual cards, care packages, flower delivery or digital gifts. It's a thoughtful way to show you care and stay connected, even from a distance.
Keep an open mind and open ears
Discuss how to focus on creating meaningful and quality moments with your family, even if the time together is limited. Quality is more important than quantity. Address challenges and difficulties such as homesickness, feelings of isolation, or difficulties in managing conflicts remotely. Encourage flexibility and adaptability and try to see opportunities and positive aspects of working in another location, for both individual and family growth and development.
Staying Connected While Working Away from Home