As someone who’s started two organizations from the ground up and two years researching and writing a book full-time, I know what it’s like working from home. I spent most of my last decade working from my upstairs bedroom and from random coffee shops around town.
And to be honest, I wish I hadn’t.
While I was productive (other than the time I couldn’t resist the single-malt scotch glistening from the corner of my office) I wish I would have worked in a different environment. If I knew then what I know now about coworking, I would have chosen coworking everyday of the week and twice on Sunday.
To help you learn from my mistakes, here are 3 reasons why you should consider a coworking space instead of working from home.
1) It’s Good for Your Health
I can’t tell you how many times I would have paid to have someone just sit in the same room with me while I worked or wrote.
While I’m a split between an extrovert and an introvert, being by myself, alone, in an office, took a toll on me.And the worse part is, I didn’t realize it until I stopped working from home.
Looking back, I realized it was a little over a year of working from home that my anxiety and depression started kicking in.
I was too busy, however, to address my loneliness and isolation. I needed to tuck my chin and work. So, work I did. But my health suffered.
A recent article in Entrepreneur noted a study that found:
working from home exacerbated feelings of mental and physical fatigue among those who were already struggling to balance their work and personal responsibilities.
Working alongside of other people who know me and love me has helped with my depression. I find myself excited about going to the office.
In the mornings. I get a “light” feeling in my soul when I know I’m going to see Khalid, Camila, Emma, Phil, Skye, Danny, and countless others at The Launch Factory, instead of a sinking feeling of doom when I would open the door to my dark, dusty, office at home (no wonder I drank Scotch).
2) It’s Great for Networking
There were many times I would be working from home and need legal advice, a graphic designer, a printer, or something like that and turn to Google to find what I needed.
One year, I spent most of Christmas Eve (I’m not kidding) searching for “affordable* promotional flags” for one of my non-profits because we were on a budget and needed to find the cheapest option ASAP.
Today, I walk across the room and ask my friends to help direct me to a vendor who can meet my needs (whatever they might be that day).
There is tremendous power in community. The load I bore by myself for so long was exhausting and terribly lonely.
Now, I’m surrounded by really smart, savvy, and business-minded people who are more than happy to share with me their best contacts for whatever I might need.
3) It’s Gnarly for Making New Friends (I needed a “G” people, get off my back)
According to the Global Coworking Survey by DeskMag:
86% of coworkers increase their social circles.
While I had a lot of friends, working from home, by myself, kept me isolated from them.
I’d email and not hear back. I’d text and get no response. Charlotte seems to be filled with the nicest, busiest people you’ll never really connect with. (You may want to read that again. That’s pretty profound).
However, working at a coworking space I’ve found that not only am I more focused and productive, but I’m meeting some really great friends who I see everyday. This has lead to random lunch outings, conversations over coffee, and even a few Charlotte Hornet tickets! Hahahaha!
Anyhow, I think somewhere deep down in what makes humans “human” we were meant to work alongside others in a community. It’s been good for my health, great for networking, and gnarly for making new friends.
At The Launch Factory we provide a unique, technology-optimized, Charlotte coworking space that’s ready for business professionals and teams of all shapes and sizes. If you have any questions about our space or would like to schedule a private tour, please contact us here.
