Article - Getting Out When You Can't Get Out

For a variety of reasons, there are many people who spend the majority of their time at home. This includes seniors and stay-at-home parents, as well as people with debilitating injuries, diseases or disabilities and their caregivers. Sometimes being homebound is only temporary. But for others, staying at home all the time is more or less permanent. A common result of this isolation is depression.

Humans are social animals. We like having others around to talk to, even if we don't always behave that way. There are community programs that provide outreach to specific groups, like seniors. But if you want more social interaction, the staff at Dynamic Living has uncovered creative ways for people to reach outside their homes, stay in touch with others, be involved with their community and even enjoy meeting new people.

The internet has brought many changes into the home. While it was initially thought that the internet would cause isolation, in reality new social structures have evolved.

• You can enjoy one on one conversations through email, instant messaging and online phone calls combined with cameras. Pictures, short movies and live images can be shared easily, diminishing distances between family members and friends.

• Internet chat rooms have been the source of many new friendships among people with common interests. We've all read about couples who met online!

• Listservs, blogs and newsgroups are sources for interesting group conversations.

• Internet games that involve others provide an opportunity for social interaction. Special websites are devoted to poker, hearts and bridge and can involve the common chit-chat that often occurs when people sit around a table playing cards. You can play with people of all ages, from kids to seniors, as well as people from other countries seamlessly on these specialty websites. Other games, involving characters and intricate stories are also fully accessible from a home computer.

• Online seminars are available from colleges, museums and libraries. You can take travel tours, learn about sculpture or discuss poetry without having to leave your home. The benefits are doubled with the opportunity to meet new classmates while you learn something new.

Many people have discovered that they are very happy working or volunteering from home.

• Businesses have been able to utilize various forms of technology that allow people to work from home. This enables them to continue utilizing the skills of valuable employees who must remain at home. Telecommuting, once saved for only a few employees, is now common. People can work from almost anywhere they have access to a computer or telephone. The work can vary and can easily involve conference calls, video conferencing and other ways for teams to work together from far away places. Even small businesses are enjoying the benefits. People can work together as easily from across the globe as they can from the office next door.

• Call centers have also been able to extend their employee base into the home. Using telephone forwarding technology, some companies have discovered that using work-at-home employees has many advantages over outsourcing to overseas facilities.

• You can run your own business from home, creating a website or eBay type store to sell goods, services or information. Many entrepreneurs have successfully developed internet businesses by being affiliates, a form of selling that gets paid by connecting the buyers and sellers together. No inventory, no rent, just online and advertising savvy. You can also perform research, write, design and sell advertising. If being self employed is interesting to you, think about your skills and knowledge, and with some effort you can find an opportunity that could be just right for you.

• Volunteering is another form of work, although unpaid. Some not-for-profit organizations need help putting together materials for mailings, developing educational materials or assembling toys. Telephone contact is not necessarily only for seeking donations. Some projects involve staying in touch with latch key kids, coordinating food distribution, mentoring and other phone intensive activities. This project type of work might have the extra benefit of having a beginning and an end, unlike a job with demands that continue.

There are also ways to spend time with people, in person.

• After school activities are slowly being eroded by budget cuts, while at the same time, working parents are seeking ways to avoid leaving their kids at home alone. While you may not want a house full of children, one or two might be just right. Once a week, you can share your favorite hobbies, tell stories, help with their homework or simply share a conversation over a glass of milk and cookies.

• You may be surprised to know that adults might also enjoy basking in your company! Personal history experiences are fascinating to many, beginners at bridge or other hobbies can gain from your experience, or maybe you have a special skill that others might want to learn from. Think about offering a small class once a week in your home.

• Make your home the meeting place for book clubs, planning committees, etc. Some groups are hunting for a comfortable place to meet. Library rooms, schools, and other facilities are booked. These folks will bring their own refreshments and maybe their own folding chairs, just for a place to meet.

Being at home need not be an isolating experience. There are many ways you can share yourself and stay involved with others. We've listed many ideas, but now you may be wondering how to get started. Check with your library for resources. Call local government agencies and schools. It may be an effort, but nothing comes for free. If you are lonely, figuring out how to explore these opportunities should prove to be an interesting and engaging activity that can lead to a better quality of life for you.

© Copyright 2006 Dynamic Living, Inc.
Dynamic Living Newsletter may only be redistributed in its unedited form. Written permission from the editor must be obtained to reprint or cite the information contained within this newsletter.

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