Assists in achieving a healthy work-life balance
There are a number of factors that contribute to the argument of needing to separate your work life from your home life, and most are about your mental health. The inability to balance work and home times can lead to burnouts that then go on to create more mental health issues for you if left unaddressed. These mental health issues can include:
- Depression
- Stress
- Anxiety
All of these factors affect your overall health and happiness and will inhibit your productivity at work. Thankfully, there are ways to help you build-up a work-life balance, and having separation between your work and your home is one of the keys.
Focusing on the right thing in the right place
It can be difficult for people to switch off their “work brain” and they often bring their baggage from work into their home and this issue is even more frequent when you work from home. If your home is your office, you can’t leave your work at work, and it can then have a negative impact on not only yourself but your entire household, too, as it will affect your mood and how you act and react.
Alternatively, your home life can affect your work. If you have a busy household, it’s hard to ignore everything that is happening. You may find yourself having to deal with issues that arise with your partner, children, housemates, and even unannounced visitors and door knockers. This will impact your daily productivity and can be very frustrating.
By physically separating your work from your home, it starts to condition your mind: when I’m at work, I focus on my work life; when I’m at home, I focus on my home life. This sounds extremely simple, but it works for many people and can help prevent the overlap of issues you experience at work and home.
Having a dedicated time for work
Having a space to go to helps to establish a consistent time in which you’re working, not just for you but also for you clients. In some professions, workers who work from home can receive phone calls and emails at any hour of the day from their clients who have a “crisis” that needs to be fixed by you right now. And because you’re always in your workspace, you’ll be more likely to give in and take the calls or reply to the emails. This sets up the precedent for you and your clients that you’ll work at any time, which only makes the problem worse. Alternatively, when you have clearly stated work hours and adhere to them, you know that you can shut down your emails and leave your business phone at work—you’re not in your office space, so your time is not dedicated to work.
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Allows for the social side of work
Working from home can be isolating for some workers as they can’t interact with their colleagues throughout the day, and it makes getting together after work for a social outing even more difficult. Being disconnected from your colleagues not only makes communication of work-related information difficult, but it can also raise your stress levels and negatively impact on your mental health.
Working in a co-working space rather than at home can help give you the social aspect of work that you’ve been missing while working from home. While you won’t necessarily be working with your colleagues or even people from your industry, co-working spaces are still a space for workers to gather during their work hours. This gives you a pool of new and interesting people to interact with while at work or during your break, helping you to feel less isolated.
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Flexible and adaptable
Instead of signing onto a lease that could last months or years, co-working spaces give workers access to temporary workspaces for as little as hours, days, or even weeks. Alternatively, most co-working spaces also offer more long-term renting options at a lower price than a traditional lease agreement. The workspaces available can include:
- Meeting rooms
- Temporary and permanent desks
- Private offices
And the amenities:
- Kitchen
- Breakroom
- Toilets
- WiFi
- Office chairs
These solutions can be great for those who travel for work, or are looking for that work-life balance. Co-working spaces have everything you need in one area for however long you need it.
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Cheaper than an office building
The affordable nature of co-working spaces are very attractive for individual workers and freelancers because they really only need a singular desk for themselves and maybe a meeting room occasionally. Co-working spaces give people access to professional areas for a cost much lower than leasing their own building, but it’s not only individuals who can benefit from this.
Spaces for small businesses
For some small businesses who can’t afford the overheads of owning or renting an entire office for their staff, using co-working spaces is the perfect solution. Most co-working spaces have multiple room types and desk options that will suit the needs of a small business, including:
Co-working spaces also give you and your workers access to the full amenities of a standard office building discussed earlier, meaning that all of your needs are taken care of and included in your rent. You may still need to bring your own hardware, but, if you have private or permanent spaces, you may be able to leave it on site.
Space for large businesses
While most large businesses will have their own office space—possibly even multiple locations—co-working spaces can still be a quick solution when they’re in need of more space. Co-working spaces, like we’ve discussed, have many different types of rooms up for rent both temporarily and more permanently. If you’re in need of a meeting room and quick, or possibly all of your desks are occupied but you need another for the week, you can go to a co-working space.