Working remotely is exciting as it comes with a lot of benefits. For example, you now have the freedom with your schedule from the nine to five office hour shift, the comfortability of working in your preferred spot instead of a desk cubicle, and the chance to experience the work-life balance as when you’re done working for the day there’s no overtime.
But as time passes by you’ll start to notice that working remotely in your own home is not everyday exciting. Chances are, you might start to feel bored and lonely because you don’t have colleagues to talk to. Another challenge you might encounter would be your household chores would start interfering with your professional duties. And, honestly, this is not good as it might trigger your stress and mood, affecting your productivity.
But the good news is that when we say working remotely, it doesn’t always necessarily mean that your option is to work from home. Another alternative, a great recommendation, would be joining a coworking space. Compared to a traditional office and working from home, working in a shared office space allows you to enjoy the benefits of both worlds—work in a professional work environment (like in an office) and work in comfort (just like in your own home).
In this blog, we will share with you some tips that you can use when you set up and start coworking which would lead you to work productively.
Acknowledge And Understand Who You Are
This is so important. Before you introduce yourself to other people, it would be best that you know yourself first. Obviously, you know who you are on a personal level. But knowing yourself in a professional manner is another matter.
Being professional outside your home actually builds your image, on how people would look at you. Yes, it would be good if everyone would know the real you, but here’s a question. Are you getting to know everyone to befriend them? The simple answer is ‘not really.’ This is because you know in yourself the boundaries of who you can be friends with and who would just be your colleagues while working. And when you start coworking you’d need to balance yourself and find a common ground to blend in.
It would be a good opportunity for you to realize what type of setup you would want when coworking—hot desking, a quiet surrounding, or having your own office.
Environment [Really] Matters
The nature of your surroundings would greatly help and affect the mood of your work productivity.
There are a lot of coworking spaces nowadays. Their ambiance and style vary which gives you the option to choose which would suit your preference. Some are hip, nature-inspired, office-inspired, etc.
Some coworking spaces even have additional facilities like a gym, yoga studio, and more. What you need to do is to identify which coworking space you would feel comfortable going to and cowork.
Worry not, many coworking spaces don’t immediately require you to become a member to be able to experience the coworking life there. Ask if they offer a free day pass or a short-term membership (weekly) to test it out first.
Grab The Chance For Added Benefits
Many, although not all, coworking spaces have additional perks when joining such as healthcare, gym access, vouchers, and more. If your chosen coworking space offers it, why not take advantage of it and enjoy it, right?
Remember a coworking space is not just a place for you to work, but it also serves a community for members, helping out one another for success and comfortability.
Interact With Fellow CoWorkers
Interacting with people has its benefits. For some, starting a conversation and introducing themselves come naturally. For others it might not be the case, but understandable.
However, if you are someone who gets shy or doesn’t take the first step when talking to someone to start a conversation, it is okay. But isolating yourself for the entire duration of your stay in the coworking space is not ideal. This is basically because you are missing out on a lot of opportunities that may help you and your business grow.
A coworking space is actually a hotspot of talented and professional individuals. You can build a network there. Who knows, the one you might be talking to is the next big CEO of his/her business? It’s possible, for example, Instagram and other multi-million dollar businesses today started in coworking spaces.
But it doesn’t mean that you only have to talk to someone who is worth a lot. The idea of interacting with other members of the coworking space where you’re at is for you to build networks and connections.
Never Forget Your Purpose
Okay, interacting and promoting yourself and your business is good. However, you should not forget your main reason why you started coworking in the first place. Don’t get distracted.
Always remember that the reason you are there is that you want to be productive with your work. So, know when to interact, converse, and when to draw back.
Focus is always the key to staying productive. Organize your tasks according to the urgency—create a to-do list to get more organized. And of course, manage your time accordingly. That allows you to take a couple of breaks in the duration of your work so that your mind would relax and you won’t feel stressed.
Be Self-Aware
Take care of yourself and be responsible for your belongings while coworking. It is the responsible thing to do, right? But other than that you are also responsible for your actions while in the place which means is by being not a nuisance to your fellow coworkers.
Always remember that the space is not exclusively yours as you are in a shared space. Keep your desk free from clutter, talk in a moderate voice, use headphones when in meetings or listening to music, and be professional.
Be Successful
In order for each and everyone to be successful in every aspect of—professional and personal—life is by being responsible and productive. The world can move forward without you, remember that. So, what you need to do is follow its lead, get into the flow, excel in your work, but don’t go backward. Sure, there are days you would feel unproductive, but it doesn’t mean that you would be the same the next day. It is you who can help yourself towards reaching for success.