Why Coworking Spaces are the Future

The pandemic has shown us that remote work is not only possible but can be highly effective.” – Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google.

As we mark the fifth anniversary of COVID-19, it’s astounding to reflect on the cultural shifts that have reshaped work-life balance and the newfound ease and satisfaction of remote work. The pandemic didn’t just alter our daily routines- it changed the way we work and the way we live. For better or worse, it is debated, but what matters now is how to maximize the benefits and minimize the negatives.

According to How Covid Changed The Workplace: It’s A Whole New World Out There, written by Forbs, “56% of 125 million full-time U.S. workers said they don’t have to be in the workplace anymore because they discovered—thanks to the pandemic—that they can do their jobs from home.” The world is moving to remote work rapidly, but it’s not all rainbows and rosy cheeks. With any large change, there will be hardships to overcome.

New Stresses

In addition to the daily stressors at work, employees now face stressors from home as well. Kids getting ready for school, the pile of dishes in the sink, or even the dog begging for constant attention. These contribute to distractions that can be avoided when working in an office but are unavoidable at home. The merging of work and home life makes it challenging to keep the home to-do list separate from the work to-do list. Working from home erodes boundaries in our minds. Losing this can become overwhelming and detrimental to productivity.

Physical Health Struggles

Working from home often contributes to the struggle of staying healthy. Step counts at home are incredibly low as the furthest one needs to walk is down a short hallway to the bathroom or kitchen. In comparison, at work, walking from the parking lot and back, breakrooms, meetings, and so forth occurs daily. Americans already tend to have low step counts; working from home only decreases that further.

Grazing all day also poses a health risk as chips, soda, and other foods that are easy to binge on are accessible, especially when there aren’t coworkers around to impress with healthy eating. This issue was addressed in a blog post by the Obesity Medication Association, stating, “When you’re working from home, there might be less external accountability for your habits and behaviors. You might be less conscious of making healthy choices when there’s no one around to observe.”

Back pain and body aches are yet another issue when working from home. In the article, What Remote Work Does to Your Brain and Body, Krys Hines is quoted. As a specialist in the field of “workplace wellness and ergonomics educator,” she explains how hard on the body working from home can be: “Quite abruptly people were making workspaces at home that perpetuated postural strain and mechanical stress. Work was happening at the kitchen table, on the couch, in the bed, and from a desk space without ergonomic support specific to the individual,” she says. “Essentially, people fit themselves into a workspace instead of creating a workspace for their body.”

Mental Health Struggles

Loneliness and isolation can be detrimental when working from home. Spending the day alone proves to be challenging to cope with. There aren’t the little breaks throughout the day of catching up with co-workers, bumping into people on your way to a meeting, and walking over to someone's office when you have a question. It is in the human DNA to desire connection with other people, and remote work strips this from the workday.

But People Like Working From Home

Despite the hardships, people still desire to work from home. A survey of 3,000 individuals who worked from home found that 98 percent of participants would recommend remote work to a friend. Another 91 percent reported having a positive experience while working from home. The benefits of flexibility, no commute, and comfort appear to outweigh many of the negatives.

A Bright Future For Coworking Spaces

The conflict of pros and cons in working remotely merges at the solution of coworking spaces. First established in 2005, coworking spaces have flourished. They address a common need of those who work from home, resolving many of their issues. As remote work has surged, so has the demand for coworking spaces.

Coworking spaces get remote workers out of the house and into a fresh environment. This helps combat the fatigue from sitting in the same environment all day. On top of that, the new environment pushes workers to get dressed for the day as it’s thought that when you dress for the job, you do the job better.

Coworking spaces help with productivity as well. When you are around other people who are productive, you will also be more productive, and vice versa. The accountability of having even strangers around makes people more likely to avoid taking a scrolling break that turns from a five-minute break into a half hour.

The opportunity to work around other people allows friendships to form, and even the small social interactions of a smile or someone holding the door open can help combat feelings of isolation remote workers sometimes experience.

The Perfect Fix

With both pros and cons of remote working, coworking spaces are stepping in to provide the perfect solution. Coworking spaces offer a flexible option for remote workers to leave the house without sacrificing the benefits of working from home. Workers can choose to enjoy slow mornings at home, then in the afternoons, stop in at a coworking space for a boost of energy.

As remote work continues to become a viable option, coworking spaces have emerged as a simple fix to some of the challenges remote work presents. If you are working remotely and facing these challenges, look up the nearest coworking space and consider trying a new way to work from home!