Benefits of a Coworking Space vs. Working from Home

It’s a conundrum for most of the world at the moment. Many people have now experienced longer periods working from home, or else, hybrid working. Gone are the days where remote working is reserved for freelancers, solopreneurs, small businesses and start-ups. Everyone has had a taster of what it’s like to work from their box room, garage or kitchen table. Most of the world now know, first hand, just what it’s like to work from home – the highs, the lows and everything in between.

Of course, working from home can be a liberating and enticing experience. Yet there are of course many lifestyle factors that may dictate whether working from home suits you. If you live with others or have a small space, working from home can soon take its toll. Then there are the IT obstacles and numerous distractions in the form of delivery drivers, let alone the allure of washing up, laundry and prepping dinner. (Let’s not even talk about Zoom and Microsoft Teams tech failures.)

Yet for some, working from home can offer the flexibility and freedom they need, and some find that they are regularly more productive when working from home. However, never fear, if this doesn’t sound like you, you’re not alone. Some people will just be more naturally suited to working from home than others.

As mentioned, environmental factors will come into play, or it can depend on the individual’s temperament, personality type and working style. It can be dependent on what kind of role you have and how often you need to work alongside others. Sometimes that human contact can make life much easier, and that depends on what your job entails.

Here are just some other factors to bear in mind…

Are You a Community or Solo Worker?

Community is a core function of co-working but is community important to you? Co-working can be an excellent place to share ideas, reduce overheads and a way to create a flexible workspace. If you need human contact during your working week, community will also be important to you for not only inspiration but also psychological contact too. Some people just thrive more when around others. It’s a social and community environment and here at Adapt by Arlington – just one reason why many people enjoy our co-working spaces.

A Productive vs. Distracted Mindset?

Unless you’re lucky-enough to have a stand-alone structure or shed space with fibre optics, away from homelife, then often the lines can become a bit blurred between home and work life. Not only can numerous deliveries and fellow inhabitants, not to mention four-legged friends, become distracting but so too can the idea of doing a spot of housework or gardening in between meetings. This is another reason why many of our co-workers base themselves from Adapt. It allows you to keep your work life separate, and to have those all-important boundaries that allow you to unwind and reset at home. Ultimately co-working spaces can bring people together in a way that offers up the home comforts yet with the professional and reliable environment you will often need.

The Psychological Impact

The other upside of co-working for many is that it offers that all-important connection. We’re hardwired for contact with others and with growing work demands, in-person contact time is becoming less frequent since the pandemic. Having that sense of community can make the world of difference to our mental health.  Many studies show that loneliness can even lead to a higher risk of psychical and mental health problems. Having that sense of community can lower anxiety and boost immunity. So, if you’ve noticed that you need contact with others during your working week, a co-working space may lead you to feel happier and more productive in the long run.

More Creativity and Team Work

Working directly alongside others isn’t always essential. However, many roles work best when ideas are bounced off others and shared in-person. It allows for that all-important spontaneity we need when oiling our creativity. These brief yet meaningful interactions can make a huge difference to your work. An idea here, the mention of a contact or supplier there, or a lightbulb moment during a conversation making coffee. Many co-workers often report that they find the creative process much easier when they have in-person collaboration, and often, when you least expect it – such as fleeting chat after grabbing a doughnut from the end of the office.

Increases Problem-Solving

 As mentioned, in our last point, motivation and encouragement often occurs more when working with others in a creative environment. Collaboration and contact with others can also lead us to take more risks and the ability to think outside of the box. Co-workers are far more likely to come up with solutions and tackle problems they encounter when working with others in some capacity. This includes just a 2-minute conversation passing in the hallway as it does a 20-minute meeting in one of our break-out spaces.

Naturally, in addition to offering co-working spaces, we also have many individuals and businesses with permanent and semi-permanent private offices with us, as well as a good selection of dedicated desks for solopreneurs and other individuals. Co-working spaces is just one strand of what we offer at Adapt.