Mental Health in the Workplace: How Coworking can Improve Mental Health
January 24, 2020
There are a number of different ways to improve mental health in the workplace, but coworking is one of the best solutions. Find out more here.
Mental health in the workplace is an important topic in business. With one in six workers suffering from mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression, it’s vital to ensure your workplace is fit for your employees to avoid having a negative impact on their mental wellbeing. If you’re a freelancer it is, perhaps, even more important to ensure your work environment is having a positive impact on your mental health, as poor mental health can drastically affect your business and finances if you’re taking time off sick or you’re unproductive at work. So whether you’re a business owner or freelancer, coworking is the ideal solution, helping to improve mental health in a number of different ways.
Coworking spaces are office spaces which are shared by different companies and freelancers. From hot desks to private offices, there are a number of different membership options for any business type.
There are a number of different benefits to joining a coworking space. Not only are they great for networking and business growth, but they can also improve mental health in the workplace, resulting in an increase in staff retention, productivity and a reduction in stress - all of which can contribute to the success of your business.
It Makes Freelancing Less Lonely
If you ask any freelancer about the cons of being a contractor, they’ll probably tell you about how lonely their job can be. Whether they work from home or hop from coffee shop to coffee shop throughout the day, freelancers can often go days without having a proper conversation with another person, resulting in increased feelings of stress, depression and anxiety.
However, coworking spaces can help to diminish these feelings of loneliness, thus, reducing the negative impact on their mental health. Coworking spaces are filled with like-minded individuals meaning freelancers can build friendships with their fellow coworkers, making their workday a lot less lonely.
When you’re working alone it’s easy to become stressed about the smallest issues - especially if you’ve got nobody to talk to about it. In turn, this can result in a poor mental health.
However, coworking can help to reduce stress levels by introducing you to other like-minded individuals (someone is always around for a coffee and a chat!), help you to establish a healthy work-life balance and provide you with break out areas to take five minute breaks when necessary, resulting in reduced stress levels at work and improved mental health.
Aside from decreasing stress levels, working in a coworking space can actually help to increase your productivity (in turn, further reducing your stress levels!).
Working from home provides countless distractions, from the TV to housework, resulting in low levels of productivity. However, working from a coworking space reduces the number of distractions and increases your productivity, resulting in more business, more money and a decrease in stress levels and anxiety.
Many people who work from home often struggle to switch off from work or set themselves specific work hours, resulting in a poor work-life balance and a decline in mental health.
However, working from a coworking space gives you the chance to set your own work hours, meaning you can do your 9-6 at the office and return home to enjoy your evening and relax, helping to boost your mood and reduce feelings of depression, anxiety and stress.
So whether you manage a remote team and want to improve their mental health in the workplace, or you’re a freelancer who’s looking to get more enjoyment out of their job, a coworking space is the perfect solution. Get in touch with us today to see how THIS Workspace could help you!
