6 ways that coworking is good for you

As coworking becomes more and more popular across the country we thought it would be interesting to take a look at what, aside from the spaces themselves, what makes it such an appealing prospect?

There are many ways people can benefit from being in a coworking environment and we’ve looked at some of them before; you can take a look here for a refresher on transitioning into a coworking space but today we’re going to focus on the people in any given coworking space.

Social benefits

When we’re young children there are certain things that we need in order to develop into well-adjusted adults. We all have a need for social interactions, whether that’s someone to sit with in school, play with at breaktime, or adults to look out for us on a broader level. As adults our needs aren’t so different, we thrive when we’re in a work environment that supports us socially and this is one of the areas where coworking excels. The environment lends itself to lots of social interactions, but in a way that works for you. If you’re the life and soul of the party, or the person who prefers to keep to a smaller group, the ways that coworking spaces are laid out let you be as social as you’re comfortable with being.

Cognitive benefits

Another key aspect of development when we’re younger is that we’re stimulated cognitively. We’re no different as adults, we perform better in our jobs when we’re challenged mentally, be that brainstorming, problem solving, driving a project to completion, or helping our coworkers figure out difficult situations. Companies who bring in learning and development plans for their employees are tuned in to this natural desire for continuous learning and stimulation and work with their teams to make sure that everyone is mentally stimulated. In a coworking set up we have the opportunity to mix and mingle with people outside of our own companies so the chances to flex our cognitive muscles are even greater.

Physical benefits

When we’re little we tend to be more active physically, whether that’s running around with our friends and siblings, taking part in school sports, or getting involved in extracurricular activities. This level of physicality is something that can be tricky to maintain as we get older but coworking companies are approaching this in a way that fits in with your life. For example, here at Glandore we have a workplace wellness programme that includes running, yoga, Pilates, and cardio classes. These are tailored around times that suit our members varying between morning, lunchtime and evening sessions so you can fit some physical exertion into your day in a way that suits you.

Emotional benefits

A basic need for all children is emotional support and stability, this need doesn’t go away when we turn into adults. Work can be challenging sometimes and it’s important to know that you have a supportive group of people around you, and who you support too. From completing a big project, to navigating an office move, to helping us with any interpersonal issues that arise, there are many occasions in work where we use our emotions to the full. Being emotionally intelligent and seeing where your coworkers could use a little emotional support can bring benefits to your entire company, and indeed to a shared space. Coworking can be a lonely option for some people but there’s no reason why we can’t extend our support of our direct colleagues further and offer it to the people we share coworking space with too. We’ve spoken before about how we can look after our coworkers here, and how to create successful coworking relationships here. A positive work environment can do wonders for people on an individual level, and it makes sense that a happy coworker will radiate that feeling outwards to the people around them.

Benefits of having other companies in close proximity

When lots of companies share communal spaces, be they one person operations or larger groups, there’s an opportunity for cross pollination of ideas between people that doesn’t always happen in other working environments. When people have the chance to meet organically, they create space to share ideas and skills, to help each other out with problem solving, to facilitate socialising, and in some cases to offer business support to the companies they share space with.

Benefits of working with many different types of people

With an extended circle of people to surround yourself with in a coworking space there are excellent opportunities to grow your business network. The person you are sitting beside on one day could end up being a customer the next. If you’re working on similar projects or work in similar industries to the people in your space, there could be opportunities for collaboration that may not have been obvious to you when you first started talking to the person next to you. When you work as part of a larger company it’s likely that you’ll be part of a diverse team of people, when you work on your own you may find that you’re missing out on this diversity. The organic nature of connecting in coworking spaces can help to ensure that you still have a wide range of people to communicate with on a regular basis.

Working in a large group makes it more likely that you’ll have a range of different experiences, perspectives and ideas to pool together, this is something that can be missing when you work on your own or in smaller teams. We’ve spoken before about how to create your own company culture within a coworking space if you’re a small business and being part of a vibrant coworking space can help with this. It can be the perfect way to balance your limits as a small company with the needs of your colleagues, while still having a diverse group of people to interact with on a day to day basis.

How Glandore facilitate connections in our coworking offerings

We’ve been in the office space business for 18 years, so we know firsthand how important the layout and design of communal spaces is. We create spaces that allow people to work comfortably and creatively and provide communal areas that allow organic connections and conversations to happen.

We provide more than just a space for people to work, we also host regular meetup events and have built up an extensive alumni network from the companies who have chosen us as their base. You can read more about how we create a community for our members here.

If you are interested in a coworking membership with Glandore in Dublin, Belfast or Cork you can contact us here and we’ll be more than happy to discuss your requirements. With nine locations nationwide we’re sure that we can help you find a space that helps your business to grow.