With a staggering 3 million home-based businesses in the UK contributing £300 billion to the UK economy, that’s a lot of people working from home. But we also know how lonely and distracting it can get working from home. There is nothing quite like a day out of the home office to increase productivity and it’s surprisingly easier than you think. For me, all I need is a notebook, pen, and my laptop as long as there is coffee and free WiFi I can work anywhere!
5 Alternative Workspaces When You Need a Break From Home
- Co-working Spaces: Co-working spaces are simply a shared workplace usually a designated office, studio or cafe-style space which involves independent activity. Co-working spaces, such as Click Offices provide variety within your working day, a change from the normal four walls, each environment has all the facilities needed (WiFi, refreshments, desks, etc.) and usually provide a base to meet clients that aren’t a noisy cafe. Freelancers are able to meet like-minded people and work together or just work in the same space, there are no expectations. This change in environment increases focus whilst keeping remote workers/freelancers socially connected.
- Coffee Shops: What makes coffee shops appealing? I regularly meet up with other small business owners in coffee shops to work. They provide a relaxed less stuffy corporate environment by putting people at ease increasing creativity and productivity. I enjoy meeting my friends chatting, then getting on with work, with some more chatting and more work. Coffee shops are also accessible to everyone even those start-ups on tight budgets as you are just paying for a coffee.
- Outside: I meet other small business owners once a month to go for a walk, we network and walk. Nature and walking are good for our physical and mental health as well as increasing productivity. Many garden centres have outside cafe areas that incorporate plants and garden spaces. I love to sit in my garden in the summer and work.
- The Library: Libraries offer great light, airy, quiet spaces to work. It’s free to join your local library, they provide a variety of seating options too from cosy sofas, to open desk space, there’s also the added bonus of flicking through your favourite books. As a writer, I love being in a library surrounded by all my favourite authors (of course I like to check my book is there too!) it’s that perfect mixture of inspiration.
- Hotel Lobbies: It might surprise you but my accountability group meets in a hotel lobby, there are coffee facilities and tables, etc around but there is something nice about sitting on a big comfy sofa and talking. I think this relaxed environment, puts us at ease and makes the conversation flow easily. The hotel is also on the beach so no matter the weather it’s nice to finish with a 5-minute wander outside.
When I choose to work outside of my home office I usually like to incorporate meeting up with my small business friends/networking group as this is what inspires me, increases my productivity and makes me happy. I also find that moving my working day somewhere else suddenly inspires me, a change of scenery works wonders on my to-do list.
Where are your favourite places to work when you need a break from your home office?
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