Being a freelancer tempts too many of us today – the ability of having flexibility in when, where and how you work; urging you to ditch the usual 9-to-5 and gain back control over your career. And amongst the sea of corporate workers is a growing number of professionals who already made the choice.

According to a 2014 survey conducted by the research firm Edelman Berland, 34% of the overall US workforce are made up of freelancers – over 53 million people. Experts even say that by the year 2020, the freelance workforce will rise to 43%.

Undeniably, there are a lot of perks in going freelance yet at the same time, there’s also an ample amount of cons that are mostly disregarded by the general public.

Contrary to popular belief, working alone is not as fun or as glamorous as people make it seem. The career is indeed liberating but at the same time, it’s isolating.

When everyone else in your home have gone out for the day, the only company you have is your laptop and your pet dog or cat. Chances are, you’ll go through the day without saying anything and maybe even go for several days with having minimal face-to-face interactions.

This degree of solitude can be overwhelming to most people and can be detrimental to a person’s social skills. After a long while of working alone, this situation can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness – both of which can bring forth several health risks. Experts have said in the past that lonely people are believed to be more prone to high blood pressure, infections and irregular sleeping patterns. Moreover, long term effects range from heart diseases to depression.

The drawback it carries is pretty much unavoidable but struggling professionals have found a way to find a source of social interaction.

The boom of the coworking movement gave freelancers, solopreneurs and digital nomads the chance to get their much needed social interaction.

These unorthodox offices have become a haven to them. Coworking spaces provide them with enough variety of work areas that they can easily balance their need for privacy and need to hone their social skills. They can start their morning by working in a single desk away from all the commotion and later in the day, move to one of the communal areas to interact and socialize. Its open layout allows for conversation to happen naturally and flow freely.

Individuals who have transitioned to shared offices, observed a significant difference in their social skills and circle. According to a survey conducted by Deskmag, 92% of their respondents reported an increase in their social circle and 86% have said that they felt less isolated. Other studies have reported that individuals living what they perceived is a healthier work life compared to when they were still in traditional offices.

People actually pay for more than just their desks and their memberships.

Unbeknownst to many, coworking spaces bring so much more to the table rather than just cool offices and unique work areas. The movement utilized different approaches to improve workplace culture and create a significant impact to those working in it.

It takes pride in the element of community that they have. They created a platform for like-minded individuals to interact among themselves. These groups then formed a support system that trade tips and advices to one another – leading to a deeper connection between people whose sole similarity is delivering products and services.

Collaboration are created within its walls – helping individuals learn and develop their entrepreneurial skills. The events they host help keep their members mentally sound by reinforcing the idea of engaging in non-work related activities to replenish their minds and bodies.

Coworking spaces help individuals develop their social skills as well as their respective personalities by removing barriers between their coworkers and by reducing undue pressure and stress in their work lives.

Freelancers develop a sense of belonging within these spaces and assures them that whatever work they may be doing is significant.

Give it a try and you may just find your people, here.

Mental illness, the term itself carries a stigma that can silence people. The mere thought of it creates a rift amongst crowds. It speaks volumes but only a handful bothers to pay attention.

Mental health problems affect people from all walks of life. It does not have any bias – no matter the ethnicity, social standing and even age – these psychiatric disorders does not allow exemptions.

All over the world, an estimated 450 million people are currently suffering from mental illness – becoming one of the leading causes of ill-health and disability. Approximately 43.8 million adults experience this in a given year and 9.8 million adults have severe cases that interferes with major life activities such as work.

And though treatment is not impossible, nearly two-thirds of those with a known mental disorder never seek help from professionals due to the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental health.

The World Health Organization (WHO) have said that neglect leads to little to no understanding at all and when there is no understanding, there is neglect. As numbers grow to epidemic proportions, the United Nations’ health agency have urged governments from across the globe to find solutions that can be readily accessible to everyone.

Organizations from different industries have made their contributions to improve wellness in the workplace but according to the 2016 Work and Well-being survey conducted by the American Psychological Association (APA) among 1501 workers, less than half of the participants felt that their organization supported employee well-being.

Leaders may have found themselves in an unfamiliar territory, they may want to help but they’re unsure of how to do so. Experts are having a hard time observing its symptoms due to the dissimilarity in how it manifests when at work or in other settings.

As a result, mental illness often go unrecognized and untreated – damaging the individual’s health and career. In America, at least $105 billion dollars are spent on loss productivity, absenteeism and turnovers. Due to the toll it has on employers, various programs are now being implemented to turn offices into mental-health-friendly workspaces.

Businesses and companies are doing everything that they can to improve the overall wellness of their respective offices. In support of this endeavor and as an effort to show how organizations can take care of their workforce while enhancing their overall performance, the American Psychological Association created the annual Psychologically Healthy Workplace awards program.

The Center for Organizational Excellence award recognizes organizations across the US for their commitment to the well-being of their employees and creating better working environment for their workforce. Since its first launch, winners of the award have reported that in return, rates of turnover have reduced and employee productivity have increased – outweighing the cost of their investment.

The rise of flexible workspaces also gave way to designs that helps reduce mental illness. Coworking spaces with open layouts encourage unforced interaction between members. Various work areas are readily accessible so that individual get to pick the environment they deemed appropriate. They can chose to move away from busy desks that increases their anxieties by settling on a tranquil room without any sort of distraction or noise. In addition to this, there are recreational rooms such as gaming and karaoke rooms that helps alleviate stress.

Those from the outside looking in can never truly understand what it means to have mental illness. They can only comprehend what they are suffering from through psychology books and articles but they can never feel what it feels like to fight your own self.

If there’s one thing that they can do, it’s this; to stop saying get over it, and instead, start helping people get through it. Give a friend a hand and introduce them to a mental-health-friendly workspace.

As of writing, there are tens of thousands of flexible workspaces available around the world. From coworking spaces that provides you with an array of working areas down to private offices that allows teams to work harmoniously without any sort of interruption or distraction, companies have a lot options to choose from – each one holding a different value to the other.

Driven by the changes brought upon by the increasing demands of the workforce to have a better work-life balance, new technology and the rising costs of offices, it’s no surprise that flexible workspaces grew rapidly.

But before hot-desks, virtual offices and meeting room rentals entered the Philippine market, there was serviced offices.

In a report entitled ‘Mining Millennials: Finding gold in Co-working Spaces”, Colliers called serviced offices as the pioneers of flexible workspaces. Having entered the market during the year 1999, serviced offices carry the basic services needed in a workspace.

Commonly known as shared offices or executive suites, Serviced Offices are fully-operational work areas with cost-efficient rates and flexible lease terms. Unlike the conventional office space, serviced offices are inclusive of maintenance and facility costs. Its facilities are all guaranteed to be plug-and-play ready. Its pliability allows businesses to scale down or up whenever they need to.

Being the first ones to enter the market, serviced offices can be found in multiple locations across the world and have sites established in prime cities within central business districts.

And as the Philippine economy stabilized and flourished, serviced offices grew popular to businesses establishing a presence in the country and multinational companies’ offshoring work. By the year 2014, the Philippines rose to second place as an “outsourcing destination”, beating Mumbai. Come 2016, serviced offices CAGR as a sector stood at 18%.

With the wide variety of flexible workspaces now readily available, the competition is stiff. Most of providers offer services that doesn’t veer away from what other companies have but each have a unique value that provides solution to certain needs.

The premise of flexible workspaces alone carries great advantages but in order to make the best choice for your company, it’s critical to differentiate one from the other – to know whether their services will fit your needs for today and in the future, will your culture fit with the culture of the office itself and the other additional assistance they can provide you with.

The widely-known coworking spaces differs from shared offices in terms of the vibe that they provide to their respective occupants. Coworking spaces often design their sites to give off that relaxed and trendy vibe that most tech startups and young freelancers look for. All the while shared offices incorporates the corporate vibe most conventional offices have to attract traditional companies.

With its open plan layout, privacy is very minimal in coworking space unlike in shared offices, yet it’s also important to note that this type of space values community and therefore, have chosen a design that allows you to interact with other members and expand your network.

Both coworking spaces and serviced offices share amenities and facilities that can cater to the general needs of a company in need of office space but in the same way, they carry specific factors that can only be needed by certain teams.

The idea that serviced offices paved the way to the hybridization of workspaces, provided the market with a variety of options flexible enough to accommodate the changing industry and technology we have today.

Behind the overwhelming success of coworking is the community it prides themselves in. The support group that they have created among like-minded individuals and the rewards that each member get from the connections they make.

The diverse group present in these open areas offer a large pool of knowledge and network that can lead to innovative projects and meaningful collaboration. It gives people a breath of inspiration and encourages them step out of their comfort zone to try new things. And allows them to discover new opportunities without veering too far.

No doubt, this modern style of working allowed us to have a platform for collaboration and paved way for a supportive collective of professionals cheering each other on towards success. It made working healthier for certain people and brought back the joy of being in an office.

But members new to the movement can be inundated with the numerous individuals they need to meet and the events they need to participate in. In order to make the most out of their new home, here are 5 things they can do on their first month to become well-connected with everyone.

 Things to do during your First Month in a Coworking Space

The most crucial step in entering a new coworking space is introducing yourself. Much to the dismay of introverts, the best way of connecting with the current members is by telling them something about yourself.

Being the new comer, people are likely to wait for you to start a conversation for they don’t know whether you’re there for a day or for a week. They would only give you a friendly nod when you pass by them or smile at you when you take a seat near them. Take it a bit further by introducing yourself without causing interruption in their work.

It’s good to keep in mind that everyone in the room must’ve went through the same situation you are now in as they become new members of the community.

Members know that there’s a need for long hours of uninterrupted concentration as you go through your day. Hence, it’s become a universal sign that if a person is wearing headphones, he/she does not want to be disturbed.

You are most likely left to be alone with them but if you don’t mind entertaining a quick chat or question, leave it be. Plug in only when needed and leave the door open for introductions. By becoming more approachable, you’ll easily find your place within the group.

One of the greatest quality these communities have is their strong sense of camaraderie. It gives them plenty of opportunity to help other members out with their expertise and in return, more people are encouraged to be generous to others.

The underlying spirit of helpfulness gives heart to the community of coworking spaces. Share your time as well as knowledge generously and people will be more than happy to return the favor.

Knowing where everything is helps lessen the feeling of estrangement. Other than simply memorizing where the bathrooms are, the coffee makers and the conference rooms, take the time to find out about the little details like where they place those extra cords and the location of the member wall.

These seemingly miniscule things can boost a person’s sense of belongingness rather than the feeling of a visitor in an unknown place.

Don’t be afraid to switch things up. One of the distinctive features of coworking spaces is the variety of work environments that it offers. Move around and try to find a safe space – an area wherein you get most of your work done.

After a while, change it up and try staying at the community table. Spend time in these areas and join in the conversations. Let yourself enjoy these little encounters and switch it up every now and then to meet more people.

Coworking gives you the opportunity to be part of something greater. It allows you to create relationships with people that can help you go through the path of success.

Don’t let this chance go to waste and connect with us today!