In the past couple of years, the working culture has almost completely shifted. The line between work and life has become so thin that it is sometimes impossible to see. People, especially the young, have made their hobbies and passions into their jobs. And working is not only seen as a money-bringing activity but a way to express yourself.
With a completely new work culture, new ways of living and connecting with people are also taking over. The world from 5 years ago can no longer keep up with our lives and fulfill our needs so friend groups, coworkers, and even families are changing to accommodate these needs.
Coliving spaces are one of these new-world creations made to meet the needs of a new working class – freelancers, digital nomads, travelers, and millennials that are trying to figure out themselves in this new world shift.
How is the world of work changing?
People quitting 9 – 5 jobs
The classical 9-5 jobs are less and less popular, and merging your work into your life is becoming a reality. There are many people jokingly saying „I quit my 9-5 so I can start my own business, and now I’m working 24/7“.
The truth is that we, as a society, are working more than ever because we have learned how to support our lifestyles by doing what we love.
Even though quitting 9-5 and living out of your hobby sounds like a dream, it can also more easily lead to burnout. The motivation for work when the product or service is completely and solely yours hits differently and you can find yourself pushing your limits way more than you should.
While the new work philosophy emphasizes people’s true callings and inspires young to explore their passions, it also calls for a completely new vision of work-life balance.
Flexible working hours
Another perk of today’s work philosophy is flexible working hours. The ability to micromanage your working hours puts your life before your work.
We are finally realizing that we should not be aligning our lives with our work, but the other way around. This philosophy also gives you the opportunity to look into your needs and address them instead of pushing them under the rug because you’re focused on work.
People finally have time to stop and meet their micro needs on a daily basis. You can pick the times for your hobbies and relaxation, which gives you space to unlock all these new things within yourself.
With this newly-acquired time on our hands, we’re starting to become aware that we have other needs to satisfy, and that the traditional work-life culture isn’t made for that.
That’s why new social settings are emerging and creating spaces for people to express themselves beyond work. With the change of the working culture, the entertainment, relaxation, and social norms are also changing.
People are seeking connections, places, and activities that will help them relax by inspiring them instead of making them numb.
Ability to work remote
Today, most of us can take our work wherever we go. You pack your laptop in your backpack, and you can work from anywhere and anytime. However, there is a downside to this lifestyle that we’re all rushing into. Silly as it sounds, being always from your work in the past also meant disconnecting from it and letting your mind focus on something else.
Even if being this flexible sounds convenient, this means that work can always sneak into your mind even when you’re trying to relax. Remote work means that your office can be anywhere, but it also means that your office might be everywhere.
That’s why one of the rules of the new working culture is knowing how to set boundaries, for others but also for yourself.
Bigger responsibilities
Another huge change is that so many young people today are CEOs, managers, or other roles that bring a lot of responsibility. 10-20 years ago, people trained years to take that kind of responsibility, and now, only with opening your online store or setting up your online business, you are in charge of it all.
Most young people are actually aspiring to take on their business – at least a lot more people than before. Owning your business is not reserved for the special ones anymore, and practically with the right motivation, anybody can do it – which is amazing!
But, because of that, young people today bear this enormous responsibility toward their jobs while also juggling to maintain/build social connections, relax, travel, maintain or start relationships, and be young and live their best lives. And all that can be overwhelming.
Colivings as spaces made to meet the needs of the new working generation
In this new working setting, we are all in tremendous need of community support.
Digital nomads, freelancers, and remote workers all have one thing in common, and that is that they very often work alone most of their time. At least if they don’t join working communities like coworking spaces or coliving spaces. Colivings understand the need for remote workers to connect with others like themselves.
Without classical office jobs, we’re also missing people with whom we could share our problems on launch breaks, who might understand us because we’re working for the same company, etc. And these all are important for one’s mental health.
Besides community, coliving spaces are made to meet both the working and leisure needs of the new working generation with spaces thoughtfully designed to inspire the mind and balance out the work-life relationship.
Colivings offer a built-in community. (Coliving communities)
Coliving spaces focus on building new-age communities of people with similar views on the world. These communities are meant to help people connect with others like themselves and share a part of their world with people who will truly understand them.
When choosing to work as a digital nomad or travel while working, you might not receive support from your regular community. Your friends or family who live traditional lives might not understand your needs or your problems, so connecting with people who do can really make a difference in your mental health.
Not only do these communities offer support, but you can also meet so many talented people that can help you build your business. You might meet people that could contribute to your story or help connect with others that can help your wheels roll. These communities are all about sharing ideas, exploring together, and sharing services and talents.
Colivings are built to help you unwind after work.
Working remotely and especially running your own business can be extremely exhausting. Working long hours on your computer can affect a person’s overall health and disconnect them from reality.
Having that in mind, coliving spaces focus on providing safe spaces for relaxing and connecting with people enriched with fun and inspirational activities that help you unwind and introduce some balance in your life.
These can be yoga classes to help your mind and body, surfing to help your body and soul, music-listening sessions to open, relax and inspire you, cooking together to help you connect with others and feed your sensory needs, etc.
Watching a movie or a show is something we still love and do, but since our worlds have moved into the digital space, it’s important to participate in activities that disconnect us from the screen.
Coliving spaces prioritize the importance of reconnecting with nature, people around you, and yourself, so even if you don’t know how to introduce these changes yourself, the surroundings will motivate you.
Here is a list of some of the most unique experiences colivings offer to meet your soul’s needs if you’d like to get inspired.
Providing a healthy working environment
Being built for the new generation of workers, colivings almost always come with coworking spaces. These spaces are also always carefully crafted for the needs of a digital worker. They are well-equipped with up-to-date amenities, office furniture, and all you might need for peaceful and productive work.
The work environment is especially important for productive and stressless work, so these spaces are often designed to inspire you and help you concentrate.
A healthy space should have a lot of natural light, good airflow, be decluttered, and provide you with reliable equipment and amenities.
Besides all that, coworking spaces give you coworkers even if you’re working on your laptop, so there is always the opportunity to take a break and have a chat with someone, share a smile, or just take a stroll with someone on your break. That really makes a difference.
Living lighter
Visiting coliving spaces means traveling, and because the stays are almost always at least a few weeks long, it might even mean “moving” a lot. After going away for the first few times, you will realize that living lighter is not only easier for traveling but also easier for the mind.
You will not be able to carry all your material belongings with you wherever you go, and you will need to learn to choose what is really important. This will also help you realize that many things that you own are probably not as important for your everyday life as you might have thought.
Learning to live lighter is so beneficial for the environment and yourself as an individual. This way, you will learn not to spend money on unnecessary things and leave the money to spend on experiences that will stick with you forever. It will also teach you not to support fast fashion, overconsumption and thus, you will be helping the environment.
Living light is hard to start, but once you get used to it – it’s worth it. You will find that living light means no more frustration about the material things; more creativity when it comes to fashion and clothes, more creativity overall when it comes to living, and more time and money to spend on valuable experiences that will enrich you emotionally, and spiritually.
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Secure yourself the best coliving experience
- Coliving.com – The most popular platform for finding coliving spaces online. On top of that, they have the biggest base of coliving accommodation in the world.
- SafetyWing – The best travel insurance for digital nomads and remote workers. It is perfect for all people who want to experience a coliving way of lifestyle.
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