Co-working in a workspace café

A workspace cafe co-working space

Where do you do your best work? Does location really matter? And how does location affect your mindset? Is working remotely or from home good for your health? Or have you felt firsthand the benefits of co-working in a workspace café?

Through the pandemic, most people had to adapt to working differently. Everyone experienced challenges, with many finding it difficult to separate their personal from their professional lives as they worked from home. But this experience of working alone (and indeed loneliness) was not new to the self-employed.

Self-employment does bring some advantages, but it comes with challenges that must be overcome.

• You have the freedom to set your own working hours or work from multiple locations depending on your mood. But with this comes the need for self-discipline.

• Stress levels can be higher – everything from less predictability (one of the things I love) - to having to do all things business i.e. working on the business rather than in the business. The admin associated with running your own business can be very time-consuming and you may not enjoy it.

• Whether we lean to being more extrovert or introvert, we all require a degree of socialisation for our overall health and wellbeing.

Although loneliness is not exclusive to the self-employed. In a Harvard Business Review survey of CEOs, half expressed feelings of loneliness, with 61% believing loneliness hinders their job performance. When you’re the CEO or the MD, whether that is in your own business, a medium-sized company or a large corporate, the core challenges are similar. The responsibilities start and end with you. 

There is a buzz that comes from working in a large office or team that is hard to replicate elsewhere (even if it’s just catching up for a chat at the coffee machine mid-way through the morning). Working independently deprives us of this, so we might need to find new ways and places to mix with others in a professional setting, rather than being on our own.

One of my favourite work locations (aside from the coach) is the local Workplace Café. This is a space where I can connect with others. I come into contact with diverse groups of freelancers, remote workers, and other independent professionals working together in this shared, communal setting. I really do feel the benefits of co-working when I visit.

Whether you are working for your own company or another, working in a Workspace Café gives you the opportunity to retain contact with others but without the office politics.

In the Workplace Café, people tend to help each other out – sharing leads, networking or sharing contacts and connections are some of the benefits.

Here are my

top 3 tips for ‘solo’ workers:

1) Keep connected and communicate. Find your tribe - join a support group or special interest group for your industry. Work in a co-working space with like-minded business owners.

2) Balance work and home life - set clear boundaries around your time, what you want to achieve and by when. Be organised – have a clear strategy (short and longer term). Having a plan can give you a sense of direction and psychologically ease the pressure of working for yourself. Know when to switch off and rest.

3) Find someone you trust and share how you are feeling – or find a mentor or coach you can speak to. Being vulnerable and not being afraid to show weakness is actually a strength. It can help you to discuss the key issues affecting you. My grandmother’s favourite saying was “A problem shared is a problem halved”. And I believe that is true 😊.

Cultivating healthy, positive habits and behaviours is key if we want to remain healthy, happy, and productive.