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Recently in the UK, lawmaker Tracey Crouch was appointed as the Minister of Loneliness, which has been identified as a growing issue in an ever-connected world. According to former U.S. Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy loneliness is a “growing health epidemic” as cited in a Harvard Business Review article.
Being an entrepreneur can be a journey you often take alone for various reasons, but mostly it’s because the people closest to you don’t have the same vision for your business that you have so it tends to be hard to connect with non-entrepreneurs. Unfortunately, that can cause additional isolation between friends and even your children.
A super connector might be how you’re described online, but in real-life there aren’t 2,000 plus people around you to have conversations with. No matter how many Facebook friends you have nothing beats human connection and a great conversation with someone who understands what you’re going through and the challenges of running a business.
Here are three ways to stay connected and overcome or even avoid loneliness.
1. Take Online Offline
It sounds simple, but inviting people in your area that you’re connected to online out to a group lunch, happy hour or even a breakfast meeting that promises to be pitch free is a great way to build strong relationships that aren’t purely transactional.
This may take a little effort as it’s a paradigm shift for many to actually attend an event with no strings attached, so don’t be disappointed if only a couple of people show up. The point is to connect on a deeper level not to sell out a room.
2. Leave The Office and Make Friends
If you’re a solopreneur, there’s a good chance you work out of your home, or possibly you rent an office. If working from home make sure to leave for coffee in the morning or lunch in the afternoon. Go to the same place each day and make it your business to start a conversation with each person that works there and to say hello to the other patrons. After a couple of weeks, you will be considered a regular and will start to be recognized by other people. It’s time to start conversations with those people and share your experiences.
Be careful not to pitch your business; you’re developing friendships not just potential business.
3. Practice Curiosity
This approach is a little non-traditional but effective. Try attending free local events that aren’t related to your industry. It can be difficult to not talk about your business around peers that are in the same market, however, if the event is unrelated to your industry you are more likely to listen to and be interested in the people you meet.
Almost nothing builds trust and kickstarts comradery quicker than taking an interest in what someone does for a living. This is the secret to the process; you’re helping that person not feel lonely since they get to share with you what they’re working on. In turn, you will be able to share with them what you’re working on and connect with them on your mutual interests.
In closing, If you’re feeling lonely, a quick way to pull yourself out of that feeling is to get out and engage with real people. There are few things more useful than having face-to-face conversations. The only thing you have to lose is the feeling of being alone.
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Photo credit: Getty Images
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