Why Coworking is a Good Option: The Benefits of Flexible Workspaces

2020 has caused us all to rethink some of the most basic activities we engage in in our daily lives. Catching the train, lining up for a coffee, going to the supermarket — all of these things are now things we reconsider and sometimes try to avoid. Even though Australia seems more or less to be returning to normal, these otherwise normal experiences and the way we live our day-to-day lives over the last year have been altered.

In particular, our understanding of how we work has been affected. With so many people working from home, some have come to prefer staying away from a common office environment. Of course, this may have something to do with the fact that many people appreciate being able to go on Facebook without the boss looking over their shoulder or being able to play Playstation or their laundry during their lunch break.

Some of us have got a little bit comfortable working in our pyjamas.

But while working from home in the short-term may have been viable, the long-term set-up starves businesses and individuals of a great many benefits that can only be achieved by coming into work — and particularly to a coworking space.

In this article, we will look at the indispensable benefits of coworking spaces for both individuals and businesses.

Daily Structure

There’s something a little bit off with checking your emails at 9 o’clock while you’re still in bed. Without getting ourselves up and out of the house, it becomes very possible (and even likely) for the day to just dissolve into nothingness.

We humans are creatures of habit, and in regard to work, we need a structure in place to ensure we follow the right habits that allow us to be at our most productive. Having a coworking space to go to each day provides a clear structure to live and work within, but also an environment that has the flexibility for you to create your own structure. With a clear, physical boundary between work-life and home-life, you are able to develop a stronger motivation and purpose while we are at work, and a greater sense of relaxation and distance from your work life while you are at home.

Productivity

Productivity is boosted when we have this clearer distinction between when (and where) we are supposed to be working. Furthermore, in a coworking space, there is the added benefit of receiving both direct and indirect encouragement to stay focused.

Not only do we receive direct encouragement from people working alongside us, but we also receive a lot of indirect encouragement. Studies of shown a clear link between coworking and productivity because, when we see other people working, we are stimulated to focus on work ourselves.

Mental Wellbeing

We are social animals. We crave human interaction, even if that just means being near someone and not talking to them. We need to see faces, to smile to one another, and preferably to talk.

When we work in a shared office space, this kind of endorphin-stimulating activity literally comes flooding in. We don’t notice how important it is until - like a fish removed from the water - we have to work from home for weeks or months on end.

Networking

A less basic, but no less important advantage of being surrounded by people in coworking spaces is that we have the opportunity to actually meet people — to create new collaborative relationships and to exchange ideas.

Networking is often thought of as a thing that you do while dressed to the nines at a charity ball. But in reality, it’s what happens every single day in a coworking office. You see new faces, you make connections through old ones, and the exchange of knowledge, experience, and ideas is the result.

That’s just not something easy to achieve at home in your pyjamas.

Improved Social Skills

Because coworking spaces bring people together, those who work in them are inevitably forced to leave their comfort zones and find new ways of relating to people. Coworking spaces are full of people doing different things, meaning we are forced to continually adapt and meet people on different levels. This can pay serious dividends as our careers develop.

Shared Facilities

As a bonus benefit, coworking spaces give us the opportunity to use incredible facilities that we (most of us, at least) don’t have access to at home. Stunning kitchens, breakrooms, and yoga studios are just some of the facilities that make coming in to work in a Christie Spaces coworking office a whole lot more interesting.

Bringing People Together (Safely)

There are so many benefits of bringing people together in a coworking space but, of course, we don’t want to bring people too close together! Here at Christie Spaces, we have a comprehensive hygiene and social distancing policy in place to keep everyone safe who works in our offices. This means you can receive all the benefits of working in a coworking environment, but we’re making sure you and your team will remain safe and healthy while doing so.