Too much of anything can become tedious and unhealthy — and working from home makes no exception. While being able to save time on the commute and do minor chores around the house during your lunch break is certainly useful, the routine of spending every single day working and living in between the same four walls can be a creativity (not to mention mood) killer in the long run.
Despite the fact that some workers have officially returned to the office or get to choose the days when they go in, many others — especially freelancers and digital nomads — are opting for coworking. That’s because a shared, flexible workspace has many proven benefits. Yet, one of those benefits that’s slightly harder to quantify, but crucial to any worker’s or business’ success, is the spike in creativity that these spaces are able to inspire.
With that in mind, we put together a list of six unique ways that coworking spaces foster creativity overall and inspire members to not only boost their productivity levels, but also enjoy their jobs more.
Coworkers Find Their Work Meaningful & Enjoyable
Because most of the professionals who choose coworking (like digital nomads, freelancers or entrepreneurs) have a job they actually enjoy, their dedication and drive can be higher than those of regular 9 to 5 employees. That’s because when people regard their jobs as more than just the means to getting a paycheck, they’re more likely to invest extra time, thought, and passion into their everyday tasks, which then translates into a higher level of creativity.
Plus, because coworking spaces host workers from different backgrounds, they get to socialize and talk about their occupations frequently, which can boost the attachment they have to their work.
Coworking Enables a Variety of Convenient & Creative Spaces
Timing is (almost) everything, but the actual setting of a work environment weighs quite heavily, too. For example, offices have been striving for years now to incorporate more diverse areas into their floorplans, from lounge areas to game rooms brainstorming and conference rooms and so on. However, the majority of traditional offices were built with either private offices or cubicles in mind, which doesn’t leave much room for other creative areas.
Conversely, being more recently developed, coworking spaces were intended as all-encompassing solutions from the very start. As such, many of them offer curated workspaces and designated areas for the more creative professionals, as well as rest or lounge areas. As a result, the merging of the two has proven to work wonders when it comes to achieving a well-rested body with an energized mind.
There’s Little to No Competition in Coworking
In a traditional office, working among colleagues can sometimes turn into a competition. And, while a little competitive spirit here and there can work wonders for productivity, it can also very easily take a negative turn. However, given that coworking users come from many different professions, there’s typically no competition among them and that allows people to feel more open and empowered. Each coworking member is their own unique self, both from a work and a personal standpoint. And, with very little or no competition at all, workers tend to feel less pressure and have more freedom to exercise their creativity.
Creativity Comes from Community & a Sense of Belonging
Of course, the social component of everyday work was put on the back burner during the pandemic years. And, while solitude at their workplace means some professionals can better focus on their tasks, the simple act of taking a break with a colleague or having lunch among peers is often the much-needed breath of fresh air during a busy day.
In this way, coworking spaces are the perfect environment for building strong communities of like-minded individuals who are not in any way forced to spend time together. Rather, they’re free to focus on their work and socialize whenever they feel the need. Not only that, but many coworking spaces also manage to instill a sense of belonging among their members by organizing regular events and get-togethers, which also increase well-being and creativity.
The Perfect Environment for Thinking Outside the Box
There’s more than one benefit to having a mix of different individuals from various professions under the same roof: in addition to networking and meeting new people, workers can also collaborate and exchange ideas in a way that’s normally out of reach in a traditional office space that belongs to a single company. In fact, getting a fresh perspective on an old project or finding connections between different areas of work can bring many creative solutions to mind to help workers explore new paths that they may have never considered before. In some instances, professionals who opt for flex spaces can even find new business clients among their coworkers to further their careers.
Schedule Flexibility = More Creativity
Although previously seen as the norm, the 9 to 5 working schedule is not a “one size fits all” anymore. To that end, many workers — especially those who are able to make their own schedules — regard flexibility as a key component of a healthy work/life balance. More often than not, a traditional office implies the existence of a rigid schedule.
Alternatively, many coworking spaces are open 24/7, which enables users to log their work hours at their own convenience. Plus, because different workers are professionally bound to different hours and personally inclined to be more productive at certain times, the flexible schedule that coworking spaces offer is just another way of fostering creativity in the easiest and most natural way — by simply allowing members to work when it suits them best.
Thinking of giving coworking a chance? Check out some amazing coworking spaces in your area:
