With more than 38% of the US workforce participating in freelance work each year, freelancers now represent a large part of the population. It’s easy to understand why – freelancing provides a sense of flexibility and autonomy that others envy. There’s nothing quite like being your own boss and making your own decisions, which is exactly what freelancers are able to do on a daily basis.
With that said, freelancing has its downsides too. It can be quite isolating, leading to feelings of loneliness that soon affect productivity.
The good news? Coworking has been changing the game. Read on as Circle Hub explores how coworking spaces have been changing freelance careers for the better.
When Freelancing Gets Lonely…
Usually, when people first start freelancing, they bask in the sense of seclusion that it provides. No more waiting in traffic during a frustrating commute, sitting in a bland cubicle surrounded by other cubicles, jostling in a queue to grab some lunch…instead, peace and quiet. Ditching those mundane and stressful parts of your day initially feels like bliss.
After a while, however, that isolation can start to feel a little stifling. Working alone means limited social interactions – something that goes against basic human nature. Over time, this can leave a person feeling disconnected, which ultimately affects productivity, creativity, job satisfaction, and more.
Many are surprised to learn that loneliness takes a toll on physical health too – health-wise, it’s just as dangerous as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, and even more dangerous than obesity. It puts you at a much higher risk of developing dementia, heart disease, strokes, and other conditions. The World Health Organization has even declared loneliness to be a global public health concern.
While loneliness isn’t limited to freelancers, the freelance workforce tends to feel it more than others. This is particularly true of freelancers who work from home, which most of them do. One study found that 64% of freelancers feel lonely on a daily basis, meaning that they regularly experience all of the associated issues.
Is Loneliness Affecting You?
How can you tell if loneliness is affecting your physical and mental health? Here are a few common signs:
- Feeling isolated and as though you don’t belong.
- Regularly feeling anxious and uneasy.
- Withdrawing from social interactions.
- Always feeling tired, even when you’ve had plenty of sleep.
- Sleep problems.
- Feeling upset over trivial things.
- Significant appetite changes, leading to either weight loss or weight gain.
- A lack of interest in activities/hobbies you previously enjoyed.
- An over-reliance on social media in an attempt to seek meaningful connections.
- An over-reliance on alcohol and drugs to help you cope.
- Not caring as much about your appearance or other aspects of self-care.
- Regularly engaging in retail therapy.
- Headaches, muscle tension, stomachaches, and other unexplained physical ailments.
Coworking Spaces Provide the Perfect Solution
There’s no denying that loneliness can be debilitating. If you work freelance, then it’s up to you to take charge of the situation and figure out what you need to do to combat those feelings of isolation.
One solution? Sign up for a coworking space. One study found that 83% of workers noticed they felt significantly less lonely after joining a coworking space. Why? For a few reasons:
A Sense of Community and Belonging
The feeling of disconnect that loneliness brings quickly dissipates once you immerse yourself in a coworking community. And that’s exactly what most coworking spaces try to foster – a community aspect that leaves each member feeling as though they belong somewhere.
At a coworking space, you’ll be surrounded by like-minded people. Sure, they won’t all be in the same industry as you, but coworking spaces are filled with freelancers, remote workers, digital nomads, entrepreneurs, and other professionals who are all experiencing similar challenges to you. This helps to form the initial connection that draws everyone together.
As time goes on and you start interacting with the people around you, those connections will strengthen. From a quick chat when you sit down at your desk to a more meaningful conversation when you bump into someone in the kitchen, a good coworking environment will soon have you feeling supported and valued.
Opportunities to Collaborate
It’s no secret that coworking spaces are amazing for networking. The majority of coworkers report that their professional network has greatly expanded since joining a coworking space, and it’s easy to see why.
That sense of community that we mentioned above means that you’ll regularly be mingling with the other professionals around you and making new connections. Networking becomes more natural, and this is often followed by various collaboration opportunities.
While formal collaborative partnerships are much easier to build in a coworking space, the beauty of these spaces is that casual collaboration also occurs on a daily basis. Bring up a work-related problem that you’re having with your coworkers, and you’ll suddenly have access to a breadth of new ideas. You’ll be able to tap into the knowledge provided by all of those professionals from such diverse backgrounds. Not only will this send your productivity soaring, but it will also leave you feeling more motivated and far less lonely.
The Power of Helping Others
Of course, it’s not just the other people at a coworking space that will be providing help to you and others. You can also do the same! Chances are that you also have your own areas of expertise. This knowledge will likely be useful to others, in the same way that their ideas and experience can be used to your own advantage.
With that said, helping other people at your coworking space isn’t purely an altruistic move. There’s a power that comes from helping others – one that, again, will make you feel valued and appreciated. Contributing to something larger than yourself not only fosters a sense of connection and makes life more meaningful, but it also releases positive brain chemicals, such as oxytocin and dopamine. Research backs this up, showing that helping other people reduces feelings of loneliness and boosts overall well-being. It can even improve physical health!
How do you go about doing this at a coworking space? It’s easy. Simply take a look around, find someone who is looking alone or unsure, and strike up a conversation with them. Be genuine – share your struggles as well, and they’ll be much more likely to open up to you. You can then help them find solutions, improving their professional life as well as your own!
Social Connections Become Easier to Make
While the opportunity for making professional connections abounds at a coworking space, professional connections alone aren’t enough. In order to thrive, human beings need social connections too. However, these are also much easier to make at a coworking space.
In addition to everything we’ve discussed above, when it comes to connecting with others, many coworking spaces also go the extra mile to foster social connections between their members. At Circle Hub, for instance, we host regular events that are free for our members to attend. They bring like-minded people together in a way that will quickly have you making new friends. Say, for example, you enjoy yoga. Join one of our complimentary yoga sessions, and you’ll meet other people who share the same interest.
Even on a daily basis, there are plenty of ways to make new social connections at Circle Hub. We provide a range of facilities and amenities for our members to use, some of which are all about relaxing and meeting new people. From our on-site gym to our gaming room, these spaces make it so easy to interact with others.
Routine and Structure
Something else that can exacerbate the feeling of loneliness that freelance workers often experience is a lack of routine and structure. The majority of freelancers work from home, which really blurs the lines between work life and personal life. This often leads to a feeling of instability, which can be stressful and isolating.
A coworking space can completely turn this around. For starters, you’ll have a specific area to go to that’s designated for work. You can leave your home life at home and your work life at your coworking space. You’ll suddenly find it much easier to mentally transition between the two, allowing you to give both aspects of your life the utmost focus.
A coworking space will also help you to get into a good routine. Yes, you have the option of working at completely different hours each day, especially since some coworking spaces, including Circle Hub, are open 24/7. However, most people tend to get into a regular routine, sticking to similar hours each workday. This gives your day a sense of order. It provides the stability that you were previously lacking, helping to reduce feelings of uncertainty.
Combating Freelance Loneliness by Coworking at Circle Hub
For the most part, being a freelancer means that you’re very likely to, at some point, experience feelings of loneliness and isolation. Ignore those feelings and they’ll quickly intensify, not only affecting your productivity and motivation but also impacting your mental and physical health.
There’s no ignoring how coworking spaces are helping to change things. They provide the perfect solution to combating the isolation associated with freelance work, allowing freelancers to really thrive.
With that said, every coworking space is different. The key is to find one that you vibe with, so that you can truly immerse yourself in that coworking community and reap all of the benefits we discussed above.
At Circle Hub, we have a diverse community of members. We foster a friendly and welcoming environment, with a community manager on-site to ensure that new members fit in quickly and seamlessly. If you would like to take a tour of Circle Hub’s coworking space to check things out for yourself, click here to book a tour today!