Computerisation has totally changed the way we work. These days, a laptop and an internet connection are all you need for working just about anywhere. But how do you stay in touch with fellow human beings?
There’s no denying it, thanks to digital working you have far more freedom to organise your work the way you want. Unless you are a nurse, a shepherd or flight attendant, digital working allows you to operate pretty much anywhere nowadays. You can see this in the rising success of teleworking and coworking spaces. Today, more than 25% employees are working outside their company offices, even if just part-time. Goodbye to long commutes, and goodbye to the stress and fatigue of travel… but there’s a catch – working remotely can lead to loneliness.
Work with other people while still doing your own thing
The advantage of coworking – as opposed to working in your company’s open-plan offices – is that it’s possible to work while surrounded by other people who are not on your company’s payroll. That means you can work without fear of being pestered with work-related questions by someone in the cubicle next to yours. Actually, it’s more than likely that the person at the desk next to yours is working in a completely different sector, and therefore has no clue about what you are doing… and vice versa.
Take real breaks
Using a coworking space means you can take real breaks. So, abandon your mouse and keyboard and go grab a coffee with other coworkers. You could even use this time to chat with the totally unknown person who’s been beavering away right next to you. The likelihood that you would be talking shop is low to nil. If you do, you might be able to find a solution to one of your sticky problems by receiving some advice, or at least a different perspective.
Avoid loneliness by talking to people with different backgrounds from yours
If you are working from home, you spend a major part of each workday alone at home. In the end this solitude can weigh down your spirits. In a coworking space, you are meeting people with many different working backgrounds: they could be graphic artists, researchers, engineers, accountants and so on. Coworking is not just a way to avoid feeling lonely, it can also be a way of finding more business contacts without having to go to an event specifically set up for networking.
Thanks to coworking, you can work with greater concentration while still being in contact with other people in the work environment. There’s a bonus – you can use your breaks as real work interruptions and also as opportunities to chat to other people.
Why not give it a go?
