Coworking Is Good for Your Mental Health
May is “Mental Health Awareness Month,” and this year’s theme is anxiety. Happily, coworking lowers work anxiety, unlike traditional office work which can raise anxiety. Here are some reasons why coworking offers a better work situation for your mental health:
Coworking better harmonizes the work/life balance
Coworking offers most workers flexibility in their day that they don’t experience onsite at a 9-5 job. Coworkers are better able to drop off kids at daycare, attend doctor appointments, go to the gym, and still manage productivity.
Coworking offers easier, less stressful commutes
People choose coworking sites based on where they live, with the goal of shortening commutes, avoiding traffic, saving time, and lowering stress. Those are important considerations, considering the average daily commute to and from work in the U.S. in 2022 was a whopping 52.2 minutes! Proof that these long commutes add to work stress comes from a study by Robert Half, where, 43% of workers say their work commute negatively impacts their mental health.
Coworkers can avoid harmful office gossip and politics
Office gossip and politics are far from harmless. WebMD reminds us that they can cause clinical depression, panic attacks, and even suicide. On the other hand, in remote and coworking settings, workers have less interaction with coworkers and are surrounded by supportive peers.
Coworkers face fewer stressful work interruptions
According to a study conducted by the University of California, Irvine, it can take an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds for an employee to get back on task after being interrupted. Clearly, this takes a big toll on productivity, and coworking promises a solution to the barrage of work interruptions. In fact, a study by Stanford University found that employees who work offsite are at least 13% more productive than their office-based counterparts just due to fewer work interruptions.
Lower work anxiety promotes better all-around health
Work anxiety is nothing to ignore. Stressed workers take on a lot of behaviors that can ruin relationships inside and out of work and that can also deteriorate work performance. According to WebMD, work anxiety can lead to:
Avoiding friends and family
Feeling irritable, tired or tense
Having trouble sleeping
Overeating or undereating
Losing interest in work
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health condition in the United States and, ironically, most work supervisors aren’t trained to help employees. Many may be too busy dealing with their own anxiety!