home based worker but lonely

[bonnieweelass]

I am permanently home based which has more pros than cons. for example I have disabilities (not mobility) and thus working from home is much easier for me.

However I am finding it lonely. I need to get out more and interact with people in general but how?

I am not able to go to a gym nor can I go to disability groups in case anyone suggests that (they are for very complex disabilities anyway)

I can't drive and I'm not in a city or near a train station.

I've already tried doing volunteering but that didn't really help me make friends. I just got stressed with all that was expected of me for free and the other volunteers weren't really friendly (older and cliquey).

How do I get more of a life beyond my desk?

Have you googled evening classes or activities at a local church hall?
If you can’t go to the gym can you do something lower impact like swimming or yoga?

Have you tried bumblebff? It's basically online dating for friends. I had some success with it when I moved to a new area

yes I tried bumble, got a few matches, but then SFA

I've worked from home for 8 years in a rural village. It's tough, especially once the school run stops.
The best thing for me was getting involved in a local campaign to save our pub! I made friends with others in the group and since losing our pub were still friends.
COVID hasn't helped matters, and we've had to make the most of video calls and messenger but at least it's something that isn't work related even if it's still online. It may be worth pointing out im in my 30s and most my friends are 50/60 so there does seem to be a demographic!!
Having a daily walk also seems to be a way of meeting people, though primarily it's dog owners!

I'd also suggest if you can seeing if work can be made social, we used to have a daily catch up which was more like 20 minute coffee break nattering with colleagues. The sole focus was ending the isolation from working alone and some colleagues I've never met but consider friends now.