The two weeks after my office closed were exciting. I finally had all the flexibility I had been promised with a tech job along with removed distractions and productivity boosts.Then week three hit. I started waking up later. I stopped doing my hair in the morning. I came to the sobering realization that most days I did not make eye contact with a single human being until after five.
I am embarrassed to say that a depression started settling into my daily life. I never wanted to talk about it because every time I told someone I worked from home full time it was always the same reaction: "You are living the dream! I wish I had could do that. That must be amazing!"
Which made me wonder, what was wrong with me? There are undeniable mutual benefits for both my company (not needing to front an office) and myself (eat healthy food in my kitchen, no commute, etc.). But with working from home I found that I was missing something that was vital to being my most productive self.
There is something magical about working around people every day. I knew this was the case so I started going to coffee shops. But it came with a steep bill. On my cheapest day I would take the dart ($3) to a coffee shop and order a black coffee (another $3 after tip). Then lunch hit. Since I had no access to a fridge/microwave I would order a pastry. ($5). Then another black coffee in the afternoon ($3 more). That total was $14.00, which is once again with a VERY conservative lunch order. If I wanted to do that 5 days a week I would pay 280 dollars a month.
Enter Communion Coworking. For the last two weeks I have been working at Communion and it has been one of the best purchases I have ever made. Here is why:
1. Friendly faces. After only two weeks I know the names of almost 15 people, and they say hello to me! It is easy to talk to people because most people are in a similar situation of working with an off-site team and we see one another every day.2. Fridge/microwave. I am a health nut and very budget conscious. I cannot dine out every day, for my waist line and my wallet. 3. Shorter Commute. The commute is better than it was when my company had an office. There is probably a space near you!4. And exposure to and networking with many different people. Along with work remote comes a rich diversity. I have met real estate agents, graphic designers, non-profits, and more. I would have never met those people sitting with my team in the old office.
Working in a co-working space has made work from home even better than when I had an office. I am waking up on time again but now I have incredible focus with no distractions, and yet a healthy balance of social interaction with different types of people. Here is to co-working.
I am embarrassed to say that a depression started settling into my daily life. I never wanted to talk about it because every time I told someone I worked from home full time it was always the same reaction: "You are living the dream! I wish I had could do that. That must be amazing!"
Which made me wonder, what was wrong with me? There are undeniable mutual benefits for both my company (not needing to front an office) and myself (eat healthy food in my kitchen, no commute, etc.). But with working from home I found that I was missing something that was vital to being my most productive self.
There is something magical about working around people every day. I knew this was the case so I started going to coffee shops. But it came with a steep bill. On my cheapest day I would take the dart ($3) to a coffee shop and order a black coffee (another $3 after tip). Then lunch hit. Since I had no access to a fridge/microwave I would order a pastry. ($5). Then another black coffee in the afternoon ($3 more). That total was $14.00, which is once again with a VERY conservative lunch order. If I wanted to do that 5 days a week I would pay 280 dollars a month.
Enter Communion Coworking. For the last two weeks I have been working at Communion and it has been one of the best purchases I have ever made. Here is why:
1. Friendly faces. After only two weeks I know the names of almost 15 people, and they say hello to me! It is easy to talk to people because most people are in a similar situation of working with an off-site team and we see one another every day.2. Fridge/microwave. I am a health nut and very budget conscious. I cannot dine out every day, for my waist line and my wallet. 3. Shorter Commute. The commute is better than it was when my company had an office. There is probably a space near you!4. And exposure to and networking with many different people. Along with work remote comes a rich diversity. I have met real estate agents, graphic designers, non-profits, and more. I would have never met those people sitting with my team in the old office.
Working in a co-working space has made work from home even better than when I had an office. I am waking up on time again but now I have incredible focus with no distractions, and yet a healthy balance of social interaction with different types of people. Here is to co-working.