How to stay connected to the office while working remotely

Do you work from a home office or other location away from colleagues? Follow these tips and use these Windows Phone apps to feel better connected.

Working alone has its advantages as well as its own set of challenges. If there is no one else working with you in the same office, or if you have co-workers in different time zones, it can be difficult to have a brainstorming session, for example.

Don’t feel lonely: Here are some great Windows Phone apps to help you stay connected to your workplace.

Skype (free)

Schedule daily or weekly catch-ups with your team over Skype, depending on your work load. It’s nice to take a break and talk about things other than work with coworkers, no matter where they are in the world.

Make use of Skype’s chat, voice and video features. Video chats in particular help you feel more connected with your team members compared with audio-only sessions.

OpenTable (free)

If colleagues or clients visit, try to have a working lunch at a local café as opposed to staying in your office. Let OpenTable help you grab a lunch reservation.

Clique (free) 

Find inspiration outside your office’s four walls. Meet groups of like-minded people and get to know about interesting events happening in your town. Who knows, the next time you may find a great idea for work at your local library’s next book reading.

Swarm (free)

Who doesn’t like to unwind with friends after a long day at work? Swarm will make it easier for you to find and connect with them.

Share your current location on the app and it will show friends who are “checked in” on Swarm and who are in your neighborhood (within one mile) nearby (five miles) or “in the area” (20 miles. Don’t wait: Message nearby friends to have some fun, now!

Nearby Live (free)

The anonymous social network for meeting new people, Nearby Live is an interesting way to meet people around you. Chat or share a photo and expand your social network in minutes.  With its “People Nearby” feature, you can see and chat online with nearby folks or meet them in real life. Another standout feature is the option to join groups or “Streams.” With the edit option, you can find people with specific interests. Read more about the app in our recent story here.

Linkedin (free)

Linkedin may not be the same as face-to-face socializing, but you can still interact with clients and co-workers and share work-based insights or other interesting information. You can also build your professional network and stay up-to-date with the latest industry news.

Do you work alone? How do you stay connected with the outside world?

Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.