When remote work became the norm during the pandemic, the home office had its big moment. Suddenly, the kitchen table was a desk, the bedroom a retreat, and the home Wi-Fi the only thing that mattered. Three years on, reality looks more sober: many people who work permanently from home report falling motivation, blurry boundaries between work and personal life – and the feeling of always being there, but never quite present.
What the home office really costs
The home office isn't free. Yes, you save the commute – but you pay elsewhere. With your concentration. With your social health. And sometimes with your career.
Studies show that people working from home put in longer hours on average than office workers – not because they accomplish more, but because the boundaries are absent. Without a clearly defined work situation, people tend to drag work into the rest of the day. End of the working day becomes a feeling, not a fact.
Then there's the so-called proximity bias: employees who show up in the office regularly are favored for promotions and projects – even if their actual performance is no better. Remote work can make you invisible.
When coworking actually makes sense
Coworking isn't a magic cure. For focused solo work, deep thinking, and confidential conversations, your own home office is often better suited. The real value of coworking comes from elsewhere.
First: structure. Getting up in the morning, getting dressed, and heading somewhere built for work shifts something. The commute itself is a signal to your own brain: work begins now.
Second: serendipity. The chance encounters in a coworking space – the chat at the coffee machine, the quick exchange over lunch – are often more valuable than planned networking events. New clients, new partners, new ideas don't emerge on Zoom calls. They happen in the room.
Third: energy. Sitting in a room full of people who are working has a measurable effect on your own productivity. This is called body doubling – and it works, even without direct contact.
The hybrid rule of thumb: 3+2
Many experienced remote workers have settled on a rule: three days at a coworking space or office, two days working from home. This combination gets the best of both worlds: social connection, visibility, energy – while still keeping the calm needed for deep work at home.
At Innergarden, this works with our flex-desk offering: you book the days you need – no long contract, no empty desk sitting unused.
What makes Innergarden different
Most coworking spaces are large, noisy rooms with rotating faces. Innergarden is smaller, more intentionally curated – and surrounded by nature. The natural pool, the garden, the daylight coming through real windows: these aren't nice-to-haves. They're conditions for good work.
We believe the quality of the place feeds directly into the quality of the work. Someone who feels good where they sit works better. That sounds simple – and it is. But most offices don't manage it.
Takeaway
Home office and coworking don't cancel each other out – they complement each other. Working permanently from home risks isolation and lost visibility. Going to a coworking space every day loses the quiet needed for deep work. The answer is hybrid – and the right coworking space makes all the difference.
Curious what working at Innergarden feels like? Come by for a free trial day.
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