Breaking Out of the Freelance Writer’s Cocoon
August 25, 2008
Online business is a lonely profession by nature. Sure, you may make a few friends and spend hours with others on Twitter, but nothing beats real face-to-face interaction with people. Online interaction meets a need, but not completely. We were created to be in community with each other, face to face. Spend too much time on the Net, and you’ll soon become shy, withdrawn, and unsure of your social skills- withdrawn into your own cocoon.
This concept of cocooning is of great interest to sociologists, but it is also a serious concern for bloggers and other online professionals. Wikipedia defines cocooning as the name given to the trend that sees individuals socializing less and retreating into their homes more. Individuals tend to stay away from society and lack in social confidence, leading to ‘cocooning’. Will this trend eventually produce a society of socially awkward individuals who lack moral depth and sincere concern for others? Will we all become our online alter egos and lose touch with reality in the next 20 years?
Finding Balance: How to Break Out of Your Cocoon
Fortunately, breaking out of a cocooning pattern is not that difficult. After all, each of us is sociable to some degree and will gravitate toward others. A few changes in your daily routine can help keep you mentally and sociably healthy for the most part.
- If you blog for a living, consider looking for customers in your area. This allows you to have old-fashioned business meetings with clients in coffee shops or over dinner.
- You can also volunteer to speak at a local school to inform kids about the world of online business. Not only does this allow you to spread the word about your business, it benefits others in your community while you put in a couple of hours of socializing.
- Change-up your office. One of the great things about working online is you can choose where you work. Go to the park, library, or your favorite coffee shop to put in a few hours. When you get out of the house, you interact with others in person while still being productive.
- Join a writer’s group in your area. Most public libraries host writer’s groups for social interaction.
- Join a sports league. If you enjoy sports, find a group of fellow athletes to regularly play with.
- Get a membership to your local Business Association. Our local business owner’s association hosts a breakfast once a month with a relevant speaker from the community. This provides a terrific opportunity to hear the latest community buzz, pick up a few pointers, and meet new friends and associates.
Finding a balance between your time spent working online and interacting with people is challenging for some. The temptation to cocoon yourself at your desk until the wee hours of the morning is overwhelming at times. Knowing when to take a break from the online form of socialization and get some one-on-one time is half the battle
Recognizing the Signs of the Cocoon
Cocooning tends to creep up on us, unnoticed. One day you are happily plugging away at building your business and the next day you wake up feeling hollow and have forgotten how to carry on a conversation without moving your fingers across an invisible keyboard. You can slow cocooning before it reaches critical mass if you know what to look for.
- When you start to lose track of time while working online, it’s time for a reality check. Firefox offers an add-on that allows you to track how much time you spend online that is helpful. You can also begin checking your email only at set times, like every hour, if you are spending too much time with your inbox. If you use Gmail, which I recommend, Gmail Labs offers forced self control in the form of an email lock-out for Gmail addicts. This feature prevents you from checking your inbox too often. (You are locked out for fifteen-minute intervals.)
- If you lose the desire for activities outside of your own home, it’s time to intervene.
- Many early cocoon-ers begin to sleep late and stay up later at night. This cuts into interaction with family, friends, and the public in general. Adjusting work time schedule can help get sleep/wake cycles back on track. A mild, over-the-counter sleep aid is also useful for those who have a hard time gearing down and shutting off the to do list for an early bedtime.
Freelance writing is not always steady work. Sometimes you have more time to play than you would like, and occasionally you barely have enough time to eat and shower every day in order to meet deadline. It’s the way of the freelancing beast. However, cocooning can easily lead to depression and social isolation if left unchecked.
If you’ve seen the movie Nim’s Island, Alex Rover is the perfect picture of cocooning to the extreme. Taking steps every day to stay socially healthy is preferable to the outcome. No one wants to be a Purell addicted, Progresso soup eating, writer afraid to walk to the mailbox and living out their lives through imaginary characters.
Fortunately, Alex ends up washing up on the right tropical island and gets a grip on reality before its too late. 
