Why You Should Consider Coworking

Research and anecdotal evidence suggest that coworking works. Not only does it work, people actually work better in coworking spaces.

We take a look at some of the reasons why.

Improved work-life balance

We all need to step out of the grueling space of work and unwind. This argument is even more relevant given the fluid, on-call nature of work that most of us are now used to. Most of us work from multiple locations, and across multiple devices. With ever-increasing expectations, downtime is hard to come by—unless one is working out of a dedicated work space.

This is an important benefit of moving into a co-working space, according to those studying work cultures. The formality that an office space lends to the fluid nature of job profiles these days is useful in striking a work-life balance and bringing more control into your hands. The Guardian reported that 10 million work days were lost in Britain to work stress, and that this is increasingly leading governments and businesses to push professionals to find ways to work in which they are most comfortable.

Greater freedom 

A corollary to this is the sense of autonomy that working in such spaces affords. You can choose to work in a quiet place, or share larger spaces which enable interaction, depending on how you work best. You can choose to work from home, or put in longer hours in the workplace, depending on what best suits your style.

Finding meaning in work

Gretchen Spreitzer, Peter Bacevice and Lyndon Garrett, researchers who have extensively studied coworking, point out that professionals working in coworking spaces see their work as being more meaningful. Their argument is threefold: one, in the absence of office politics, people don’t have to put on a facade. Second, the norm in a co-working space is to help each other, and this makes people feel more deeply valued. Third, the feeling of being part of a community is inherent in a coworking space. These three aspects interact with each other, helping people find deeper meaning in their work.

Access to community

The biggest asset the co-working movement can boast of is the sense of community it offers. This community will help you build new relationships, solve problems, grow your business and even spark some interesting collaborations. A lot of coworking spaces facilitate such interaction. However, this does not mean that you have to be in the middle of constant interaction—just as much as you’re comfortable with.

Increased productivity

Creativity is contagious, and workplace energy is important to being productive. We’ve all felt motivated just by sitting next to someone working with gusto. When you’re having an off day, this could have a domino effect and help you work better.

Hassle-free workplace

This is one of the biggest advantages—coworking spaces already have everything you need! Your coffee, the office setup, maintenance, internet connections… everything is already taken care of for you. You are freed of the stress of setting up the right infrastructure or dealing with niggling problems while also worrying about deadlines. For someone starting small, this can mean the difference between failure and success.

That said, we’d be very excited to hear from those working in coworking spaces! Tell us what makes coworking work for you.

On the other hand, if you have any reservations or questions about coworking spaces, we would be glad to address those for you too! Just drop us a line below.

If you’d like to read more on the subject, visit:

• https://hbr.org/2015/05/why-people-thrive-in-coworking-spaces
• http://www.theguardian.com/natwest-partner-zone/2015/jul/06/coworking-space-versus-private-office-best
• http://www.theguardian.com/money/2016/jan/02/work-life-balance-flexible-working-can-make-you-ill-experts-say