How to Combat Loneliness When you Move Away for your New Job.

For many of us, if we want a job  we’re not overqualified for, then we have to be prepared to move away from home.

Moving somewhere where you don’t know the place or the people is daunting – especially when you’re already nervous about starting your new job. Being miles away from your nearest and dearest can make you feel very lonely. Especially when you’re so busy in your new role that you feel like you don’t have the time to keep family and friend commitments alive.

Don’t worry. We’ve come up with some tips to help you beat the loneliness when you move away for your new job.

Designated Call Days

One really easy and effective way of maintaining relationships when you are miles apart is to pick up the phone. Although, when there are so many people to get through, this can be easier said than done. However, it is more than possible.

Simply designate days to different people. For example, you can call your Mum on Mondays, the best friend on Tuesdays, your Grandma on Wednesdays and so it goes on. Working out which days you will speak to which people, and sticking to it, will make sure you actually get around to making the call. And it will get both you and the receiver into a natural routine.

As well as this, make sure you’re making the most of the spare hours you have to make the calls. Work out which time slots work best for which people. An hour long lunch break is a great slot of time to phone up a friend and tell them about your morning.

Make the most of commuting, using your journey to work to speak to your loved ones, instead of being bored by the monotonous bus ride.

Plan in advance

Phone calls are good, but sometimes what you really need is some face to face contact with your favourite people. If you have moved to a different city and are busy with a new job, this can seem very hard to make time for. But you can do it.

It’s important to make sure you plan properly and give yourself enough time. Booking train tickets on the day is expensive and it’s nice to have something to look forward to.

Explore your new area 

It might be fun to have a familiar face come and look around your new house. Invite them up for a weekend and tick off some of your new city’s top locations together. It will be more fun than exploring alone.

The more you explore, the more new opportunities and social groups you may come across. You might discover a gym, cool looking bar or theatre you can check with friends old and new.

Organise occasions

It’s easy to get stuck in your new routine of getting up, going to work, going home, going to bed and getting up again. When you first start a new job, it can be easy to allow it to take up all your time. It is also easy to forget other things are going on outside your new work life.

If you want to keep your old relationships thriving while you’re away, then don’t forget the little things. Being preoccupied with work can make it easy to forget birthdays, traditions and family events.

Separate to your work diary, it can also be a good idea to keep a social diary. This way, you are less likely to forget about the important dates coming up. Use the occasions as excuses to see the people you miss.

Make an effort with the new people

Although it is always important to stay in touch with old friends, it’s equally as important to make an effort to make new friends too. If you’re living quite a distance from home, then it won’t always be possible to see your old friends and family every weekend.

The best way to beat loneliness is to make an effort with the people nearest to you. Chances are if they’re working in the same office as you, then they probably don’t live too far from you either.

Make the most of social opportunities at your new job. Join some lunch time clubs or just invite a few people for a drink after a hard day.  You never know, these could become the people you end up missing when you move closer to home again!

Other things to consider are joining social events or groups outside of your work – Meetup is a good option for finding people with your interests. If you like reading, consider joining a book club, or if you’re into sports, look out for fitness classes and groups.

Rosie Fitzgerald is a freelance journalist, who studied English Literature and Creative Writing at UEA and has previously been published by The Tab, Babe and The Guardian.

Inspiring Interns is a recruitment agency specialising in all the internships and graduate jobs London has to offer.