Staying Social
I’m finding one of the unexpected challenges of my new job is the loss of social interaction. When I worked at the helpdesk, interacting with people and keeping in touch with the folks I considered my friends, was easy. Just as part of the job I’d have to talk to them on a regular basis, so it was easy for someone who is naturally as shy as I am, to be pretty social. I really had no choice but to be in order to be good at my job.
Now that I’ve moved into a different type of work, and moved into my own office, I am finding it difficult to keep “in touch”. I don’t have the normal day-to-day interaction with people as part of my job, there is some, but not anywhere near as much. I have to make an effort to go and talk to people, in a social sense, as opposed to just chatting while I was working with them.
I’m not very good at that, but I’m going to have to learn to be better at it if I want to keep the friendships I developed while working at the help desk. We’ll see how it goes.
I know that feeling. I have had to do the same, but I am finding since I joined a local church that I don’t have to force myself much because people seek me out – that is what I am finding hard to deal with now.
I was very shy in my younger days but I’ve noticed that as long as you’re honest and open, true connection are inevitable! *hugs*
I too can relate to the the need for human interaction. I am about to come to the time of year when there is less day-to-day human interaction on the job. I have learned that during this time I need to schedule myself for optional conference calls, to utilize collegial resources and local colleagues.
Are there people to whom you can reach out and form regular lunch meetings or study groups or the like?
Leah,
That is exactly what I have to try and do, go out of my way to “catch up” with people that I never really had to initiate in quite the same way with before. It’s a struggle to find the time, and energy to do that but it is important. I’ve never been very good with initiating social contact, so maybe this is my time to improve in that area. 🙂
You can do it!