Is this your first holiday season coworking? If so, you’re in for a treat! Although coworking spaces keep things professional, most will still embrace some festive cheer, bringing that holiday spirit into the workday. Keep reading as Circle Hub explains what to expect when coworking during the holiday season.
A Festive Atmosphere
Although a coworking space is a place of work, many still encourage a festive atmosphere during the holidays, while being mindful of the fact that not everybody may be in the holiday spirit. You’ll likely notice a few subtle touches here and there that hint at the holidays without being overbearing.
Just like in a traditional office, you may also notice that people seem more relaxed as the holidays approach. This adds to the festive atmosphere, while also making it easier to mingle with other members and make new connections. Networking suddenly becomes more natural – it’s a great time of the year to really build up your contacts.
Festive Events
Many coworking spaces host various events throughout the year. Once the holiday season rolls around, those events often take on a more festive nature. Even if you don’t usually attend the events hosted by your coworking space, make an effort to do so during the holidays. You’ll likely find that other people have done the same, meaning that, once again, you’ll be able to meet new people with ease. This is something to take full advantage of during holiday season coworking. After all, you never know what opportunities may arise in the future thanks to the new connections you’ve just made.
A Stronger Sense of Community
People tend to celebrate certain values during the holidays, such as love, care, and generosity. This is a thread that ties the world’s different cultures together at this time of the year.
Thanks to this, you’ll likely notice that the sense of community at your coworking space grows even stronger during the holidays. Coworking spaces are already known for encouraging that community feel, so you can expect to bask in this even more during the festive season. This, in turn, will enhance the sense of belonging that you feel at your coworking space. It will combat the loneliness and isolation that professionals often deal with, while creating a more motivating atmosphere to work in.
A Flexibility That Helps With Personal Commitments
Chances are that you have several personal commitments ahead of you this holiday season. From family gatherings to celebrations with friends, it can be difficult to find the time to squeeze all of this in when you work a traditional 9-5 job at a regular office.
However, when you’re coworking, you’ll have the flexibility to pick your own hours. This is a huge benefit when it comes to holiday season coworking as you’ll be able to arrange your working hours around your personal commitments. Find a coworking space that’s open 24/7, like Circle Hub, and this becomes even easier. You’ll be able to create a balance that works for you and your loved ones, rather than being forced to stick to rigid working hours.
With all of that said, make sure that you don’t use this as a reason to overcommit! Prioritize what’s important to you, so that you don’t end up overbooked and stressed.
A Mental Breather
As enjoyable as the festive season may be, there’s no denying that it can also be stressful. This can make it difficult to fully focus on work, but having a good coworking space to work from will help you through this. It will give you a much-needed separation between your personal life and your work life. Once you walk into your coworking space, you’ll find it easier to switch off from your personal life and concentrate on the tasks ahead. Forgetting about the holidays for a while, rather than thinking about them constantly, can be a great mental breather. Once you’re done working, your brain will be able to quickly switch back, enabling you to give your loved ones your full attention.
Holiday Season Coworking: Tips for Staying Productive
Having a coworking space to turn to can really help to avoid that year-end slump that so many professionals battle through. Here are some extra tips to keep in mind to ensure that you’re as productive as possible when you’re working this holiday season:
Make Full Use of the Different Available Workspaces
One of the advantages of coworking is that, in most cases, you’ll have access to a variety of different workspaces. At Circle Hub, for instance, in addition to our shared workspaces, you can also choose to work from a variety of private office suites. They’re perfect for when you need some extra privacy or want to work alongside a small team.
Having these options is great when holiday season coworking, as your tasks are likely to be more varied. Pick a workspace that suits what you’re doing for the day to give your productivity a boost.
Embrace Ambient Productivity
Have you heard of ambient productivity? It relates to how a person’s productivity can be influenced by their surrounding environment. For example, research shows that a certain level of background noise can boost cognitive processes in a way that helps a person to stay engaged on the tasks at hand.
This is one of the reasons why many find that they’re more productive when working at a coworking space. The coworking environment has been created in a way that supports ambient productivity, especially here at Circle Hub. From natural lighting to splashes of nature to just the right amount of background noise (our community managers are on hand to ensure that noise always remains at an appropriate level, even during the holidays), immerse yourself in your coworking space to really make the most of ambient productivity.
Take Advantage of Any Wellness Amenities
While you may have some end-of-year deadlines that you’re rushing to meet, all work and no play will quickly lead to burnout. This is the last thing that you want to be dealing with during the holidays, when there’s already so much else to stress about!
Fortunately, a good coworking space will offer a few different wellness amenities. They’re useful year-round, but particularly so if the holiday season has left you feeling more stressed than usual. You’re probably aware of how important it is to take care of your mental well-being, so take full advantage of any wellness amenities that are available to you.
At Circle Hub, our on-site gym proves very popular during the holiday season. Equipped with everything that you’d need for a full workout, it’s a great way to refresh both mind and body while working off some of those holiday calories!
Start Planning Your Schedule for January
If the holiday season has left you lacking in motivation, one way to get around this is to start planning your schedule for January. This will help to bring in some fresh energy, putting you in a forward-thinking frame of mind.
Start by setting some goals – not just for January, but for the next year. Then, pencil in some tasks for the first few days of January. They’ll be the first steps that you take to achieve your new goals.
Reward Yourself
One way to boost motivation during the holiday season is to create mini goals for yourself, along with mini rewards. They don’t have to be much – allowing yourself to watch an extra episode of your favorite TV show or ditching work 30 minutes earlier so that you can indulge in a long bath – anything that feels rewarding to you will work!
Not only will this help you push yourself to every goal, but you’ll also be celebrating all of those small wins. This sense of accomplishment will give you some extra motivation moving forward.
Host an End-of-Year Meeting
If you work with a team of people, a year-end meeting can be a great way to round off the year, show your appreciation, and build motivation for all that’s ahead. Celebrate the achievements that your team has made – it’s a great way to foster unity.
Where should you host this meeting? At Circle Hub, we have meeting rooms that our members can hire by the hour. They’re perfect for a year-end meeting with your team. Once you’re done, you can continue the celebrations by heading to one of the local restaurants or bars.
Host a Holiday Event
While it may be too late to host a holiday event this year, now is the perfect time to think about how things would play out if you were to do so next year. Holiday events are a great way to bring people together and can be a huge asset to a business.
If you’re looking for a way to enhance unity within a team, hosting an event is definitely worth considering. If you don’t want to wait another year, come up with a different reason for a get-together. At Circle Hub’s Ventura location, there’s even an event space that you could use. With standing room for 170 people, along with kitchen access and your very own event coordinator, it’s a great opportunity to solidify your team while bringing in new clients and contacts.
Holiday Season Coworking at Circle Hub
Every coworking space will approach the holidays in its own way. Yes, there’s likely to be more holiday spirit going around, but they’ll still remain a place of work, ensuring that you’re able to meet all of your year-end deadlines.
Curious about what Circle Hub’s coworking spaces are like during the holidays? Click here to book a tour and find out for yourself!