Working from home?
Welcome to 2024 and by now you know, you are not alone. Since 2019 (ahem can we still talk about the pandemic?) the rise in work from home citizens in the United States soared from under 6% to over 28% in exclusive work from home or hybrid models. Its convenience is appreciated by workers along with the savings of gas or time along a commute. And the savings for companies closing down or reducing the space of high rent offices means a prettier bottom line without the costs of utilities, furnishings, and supplies,
But what are its downsides? The most obvious is the isolation and lack of a commuting routine. We have all joked about the guy who rolls out of bed and onto a zoom call with a snazzy shirt and tie....sans pants. But the mental effects of this can be difficult noting extreme isolation and lack of separation between home and work. And now, even employers are realizing its full impacts not only in the dissorienting nature of managing teams, but in the way workers are seemingly "burning out" faster or more often. Despite what would seem to be a less stressful situation (eliminating the full dress show daily and giving up the commute) the "work is always with me and around me" feeling can leave many people feeling completely overwhelmed. Additionally, managers are reporting a decline in creativity, problem solving, and the good old "brainstorm" vibe that a collaborative office can provide is dying along with the commercial real estate office spaces that used to house these moments of brilliance.
So what should you do if you are an entreprenuer, freelancers, or full time employee who has found themselves working from home and feeling more lack-luster than enthusiastic about your day to day enviornment? Join a coworking space like CoLabR8 Seminole or Clear Labs St. Pete of course! And here is why:
Going to the office occassionally is better for your brain and the results of your collaboration efforts. In a 2020 Microsoft study, researchers found that “remote collaboration is more mentally challenging than in-person collaboration,” but not necessarily in a good way. The study found that "brainwave patterns associated with stress and overwork were much higher when collaborating remotely than in person".
Dramatically improve your focus. When you work from home, home is always there. The laundry that needs to be moved, the barking dog, the mail truck that just dropped off your package. The constant start and stop interruptions at home far exceed those of an office enviornment where your brain tells you "this is where I go to work".
Coworking gives you a networking platform. Shared office spaces provide a platform for expanding your professional network and discovering new business prospects, all while improving your reach and visibility. Spaces like CoLabR8 Seminole develop a community of like-minded people for businesses.
Improved Mental Health. The process of simply getting up, getting dressed, having your routine and getting out the door "to work" is the obvious item missing in the rhythm of work from home life. Lonliness and resulting depression are known rising impacts but so is anxiety, over-eating (stress or boredom eating) and poor sleep patterns, all which increase poor mental health risks.When you’re working alone, getting stressed about even the small issues is something that can happen to anyone. When there’s nobody to talk to and things aren’t going well, stress levels can rise rapidly. This in turn can lead to depression and poor mental health.
It's SO much cheaper and easier than your own office. Coworking spaces provide a turn key ready solution and all-inclusive pricing for it's members. Spaces like CoLabR8 Seminole and Clear Labs St. Petersburg come fully furnished, all utilities are included, we handle the building maintence and surprise costs, the cleaning, the fixing, the coffee pod and toilet paper restocking and all the stuff you don't want to have to deal with just to have a work/life/home balance. From easy affordable memberships starting at 200$ a month where you can drop in anytime and use the space, to private offices that come ready for you to work and offer the freedom and flexibility of NO LEASE, coworking provides the most cost efficient "get it now" option to find a place you feel at home, away from the home office.
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