How Workaway Can Save the Day When Loneliness Strikes

Lonely…oh so lonely

We share the planet with 7.8 billion humans. The possibility for contacting and communicating with who we want to and when we want to, is mind-blowing, especially since the advancement of social media. So why is it that so many of us still suffer from feelings of loneliness and isolation?

workaway team admiring mountain view quietly

What is lacking from our lives?

Our expectations for work, travel and social interaction have changed and are still changing. Many of us work from home, or at home. We may have had no choice in the matter, or it may have resulted from wanting to get away from it all and set up a new life. Either way, going it alone can be tough at times and perhaps we are missing out by not letting people into our lives.

workaway traveller gazing at desert alone

Do we get enough opportunities to meaningfully interact with other people? 

Ultimately, we are social animals and if we deny the basic human need to interact for long periods of time, we can easily become too introspective, feeling stuck in a rut and bored by our own internal dialogue! 

We mustn't underestimate how much of our lives can be impacted or influenced by the people we meet along the way…and that has to be more than the superficial exchange when you meet someone in the street. With COVID restrictions in force we spend so much more time alone or in a closed bubble. Over time this isolation can become a great strain. Having someone to bounce ideas off and share experiences with gives meaning to what we do and makes us happy and we mustn't forget that! 

If this resonates with you, perhaps the time has come to consider hosting a Workawayer who’ll fit into your way of life and help you to feel connected to the world outside once more.

workaway circus project new friends and ideas

Open your doors and horizons

A lot of us are at the point where we are bored with our own company and are in search of a more meaningful interaction than we can find in our day-to-day lives at the moment. Hosting a Workawayer can feel like a breath of fresh air. The experience gives both hosts and Workawayers the chance to see new perspectives.

workaway host with travellers in front of door

Learn to fall in love with your home again

As you show someone around, explaining about the place you live and the projects you are working on, it also makes you appreciate all that you have and how far you have come too… and can even give you a fresh insight on where you are heading.

workaway host and traveller chopping wood together

Workawayers lightening your load and even lighting the way!

A project shared, is not just a project “halved”, but it becomes so much more fun and rewarding... the energy and  enthusiasm that workawayers offer as they experience somewhere new and exciting, can be a real boost and they may have some valuable ideas or suggestions to inspire you to do something that you would have never have come up with by yourself. 

workaway night grape harvest group

Companionship

Preparing meals can become monotonous if you are always cooking for yourself. You tend to put more love and attention into it when you have someone to cook with or for. Taking turns to cook with the Workawayers means that mealtimes become a rewarding highlight of the day…new dishes to try and perhaps even learn how to make them too. Companionship, literally someone to share your bread with, is as necessary as the bread itself!

group al fresco meal with caravan and lake background

Sharing is caring

Spending time together means playing games, swapping stories and laughing. Laughter is a therapy and we do it much more when we have company, as well as dancing, singing, playing music and all those other feel-good activities that make us realise that life is for living.

It's also true to say that workawayers, whether they are aware of it or not, bring the outside world to your door and reaffirm your connection with it. They make you realise that it is not full of doom and gloom as the press often leads you to believe, and that there are still wonderful people out there wanting to be part of a caring, sharing and tolerant world community.

workaway host

About Jane

Jane is another regular blogger who has been involved with Workaway since its birth back at the start of the century!! She has travelled extensively and has both volunteered and hosted travellers over... show more...

View all posts by Jane


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