One of the most popular reasons why our residents choose to use a coworking space is the sense of community and connection - it’s a big, and very human pull. But feeling connected and a sense of community isn’t just a nice fluffy thing - it’s actually super important for our health and wellbeing.  According to the World Health Organisation; 

“Lack of social connection has a serious impact on physical and mental health, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, dementia, depression, anxiety and suicide. People who lack social connection have a 30% higher risk of early death, comparable to much better recognized risks such as smoking, excessive drinking or obesity.”

Social connection doesn’t mean you have to be best buddies with everyone in the office, a friendly ‘Kia ora” or smile as you walk into the office is enough to feel that someone sees you and has acknowledged you today. 

According to the Heart Foundation; there is evidence showing that stronger social connections can positively impact our mental, emotional and physical wellbeing including:  

• Lower levels of anxiety and depression
• High self-esteem
• Greater empathy for others
• Strengthened immunity
• Reduced risk of developing dementia as we age
• Increased longevity

There are also some not so obvious reasons why the coworking movement is having a positive effect on people's mental health. In a 2023 article by Harvard Business Review, after surveying 819 employees working in office roles across the geographic and industry spectrum, they highlighted some interesting results. Working from a coworking space proved to be more socially fulfilling than working from an employer's office or working from home. Some of the reason given by the participants included:

• In a coworking space individuals were able to do relational job crafting, meaning, they could customise the people with whom they engaged with during the working day. “Avoiding unnecessary interactions with colleagues” was a benefit cited by 52% of surveyed participants. 
• As the people you work alongside in a coworking space are all from different businesses and often different industries, there’s an added benefit of security from competitive or evaluation pressures. 

Creating a sense of community and connection at Basestation is important to us - it’s part of our mission:

Basestation provides a space to help build communities and relationships to support professional collaboration and personal growth. 

We do this in a number of ways, including creating a welcoming and safe space for our residents. We host monthly shared lunches and breakfasts, creating space and time for our residents to connect with one another over some kai. We’ve also recently introduced Coffee Chats with coffeebot on Mattermost (similar to donut dates/chas/intros if you use Slack). This is a bot on our messaging system that pairs people who’ve signed up to the channel once a month to have a coffee and kōrero with one another. It’s a great way to meet people who you wouldn’t usually meet.  

Other benefits to coworking that create good mental health and wellbeing outcomes include being in a dedicated space where work happens. Being surrounded by others who’ve come to do the mahi helps create focus and minimise procrastination and distractions. 

There’s also a clear boundary set with work-life separation; this can be blurred when working from home. 

Making a routine of coming to a coworking space also creates a habit, which in turn can have positive effects on your mental health. According to 2024 article in Psychology Today, the benefits of a routine making your daily life smoother and more manageable includes:

• Providing a sense of order and structure which reduces stress and uncertainty.
• Boost efficiency by reducing decision-making and helping us to stay focused and on our priorities.
• Promotes discipline and consistency, helping us develop positive habits crucial for personal and professional success.
• Offers comfort and stability. A predictable schedule can be especially assuring during challenging times. 

So, if you haven’t tried coworking before, why not give it a go? We host an Open Day on the second Thursday of every month, which means, if you’ve never hot desked with us before you can try it for FREE for the whole day. 

We can be found at 148 Durham Street, Tauranga - our hours are 8:30am - 5pm, Monday - Friday. For more information, check out our website: basestation.nz and if you are interested at hot desking or our open day, send us an email at info@basestation.nz