Lack of social interaction, boredom, a nagging spouse or hyperactive kids are just a few of the many reasons why people leave the comfort of their homes in search of a more productive environment to work in.
Coffee shops used to be the hotspot for freelancers and entrepreneurs attempting to launch start-ups. Many coffee shops were quick to jump on the bandwagon with their offers of free Wi-Fi and convenient power points to lure the remote workers.
Though the hustle and bustle of crowded coffee shops can keep you awake and alert while slogging through a sleepy afternoon’s work, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Many find it too distracting, not to mention the expense of refilling your coffee mug with overpriced cappuccinos to prevent the patrons from kicking you out.
The Coworking Hub
Necessity is the mother of invention. Today, the number of start-ups seems to be infinite. But most of these fledgelings cannot afford to pay corporate rents. Such entrepreneur teams, freelancers and other remote workers have now caught on to the latest trend of ‘co-working’ as the answer to their prayers for a productive working environment that offers all the flexibility of working from home – but without the distractions.
The future of work is remote, and coworking seems to be the future of remote work.
Coworking is not simply working together, it is working independently in a group setting. The coworking setting allows multiple start-ups, small businesses and individual workers like freelancers to work independently in a membership-based shared workspace.
According to research, people working in coworking environments are much more productive than their counterparts in a traditional office atmosphere.
So what is it that makes coworking spaces so effective?
Read on to find the 7 ways in which coworking can motivate and boost your productivity exponentially.
1. Disciplines your Working Hours
Coworking motivates you to effectively manage your time to ensure maximum productivity.
The freedom from bosses literally breathing down your neck and the flexible working hours are some of the perks of working from home. But when you are answerable only to yourself, just how disciplined are you? What’s there to motivate you to switch off the Xbox and get off the couch?
The coworking space has a casual atmosphere to it. But there is also an intensity to it – of action, achievements and celebrations of milestones achieved. When you are surrounded by like-minded people travelling the same path, their achievements spur you on to achieve the same, if not more.
Their enthusiasm is often contagious and it energises and encourages you to actually do your work rather than laze around wasting time.
2. Fewer Distractions Mean Better Productivity
Though many coworking hubs have community spaces for relaxing and entertainment, the working area is optimised for productivity with minimum distractions.
It is way better than sitting with your laptop at the dining table, getting distracted by the soccer match your son is watching while your toddler bangs dishes on the floor.
3. Bring Your Whole Self to Work
Unlike many traditional offices where you may find demotivated people bored with their monotonous routines and doing a job they probably hate just for the pay packet, a coworking space is usually filled with passionate and driven people eager to make their mark on the world.
Having passion and finding meaning in what you do ultimately boosts your productivity. In the shared, communal setting of a coworking space, the diverse groups of independent professionals work with passion, believing in the projects they undertake. People are here by their own choice. They are working in a field that interests them. They are involved in projects they care about. They don’t do it because they ‘have to’, it’s because they ‘want to.’ This motivation makes a tremendous difference in their productivity and the final output.
4. Switch-Off to Switch-On Brighter
When you are working from home, it’s difficult to relax completely and separate your personal life from the work. A coworking space helps you define your work life and keep it separate from your personal life. This helps you assign specific time slots for overall long-term personal productivity-boosting activities like meditation and exercising.
How often have you snapped at the kids for disturbing you while you were working on your laptop? When your ‘work mode’ is switched off, you will be physically and emotionally more available to your kids and spouse.
Studies have revealed that you will sleep much better if your bedroom is allotted as a space for relaxation and sleeping. When you work with the laptop on your bed, or on a desktop kept in the bedroom, it can lead to reduced sleep quality which ultimately decreases your productivity.
5. Coworking Breeds Innovation
You need to surround yourself with the right kind of people as it is said that you become like the company you keep. Surrounding yourself with compatible, passionate, enthusiastic and innovative people will boost your creativity and productivity.
Community, social interaction and networking are important parts of the coworking culture. Your colleagues in this open workspace can offer you fresh perspectives on your problems as you observe how they overcome their own hurdles. When you are stuck with something, brainstorming with like-minded individuals can inspire you to discover creative solutions. Their advice can often empower you and increase the drive to succeed in your venture.
6. Help Others to Help Yourself
As a coworking space houses a wide range of people from various fields or interests with unique skills, they can be of immense help to each other. For example, an Seo expert can help out a freelance health writer with tips to better market her work. A website designer can help start-ups improve their site layout.
It is the norm to help each other out in the Coworking culture and you will find that there are plenty of opportunities to do so. Keep in mind – what goes around, comes around.
7. Less Drama and Office Politics to Drain your Energy
Every office has drama characters, the people who drain the energy of their teams and organisations and they often disrupt initiatives with their tantrums, costing plenty in lost productivity. As the members in a coworking space work independently on their own ventures or projects, there is less of rivalry and direct competition.
In fact, working among people doing projects different from yours strengthens your own work identity, making your venture more distinct and interesting.
Julie Joy 