Working from home became a common ideology for many offices. They reduce the daily running cost that being in a physical office accrues. But humans are social beings with an innate desire to interact; working from home for prolonged periods can lead to depression for some. The experience of working from home varies by population. Some studies have found that working from home has positive health outcomes such as reduced stress, burnout, and fatigue and increased general happiness and quality of life. Other studies have found negative effects of working from home on the general psychological well-being and work-life balance of some people. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects are not always clear and are affected by various individual and environmental factors.

Depression is a mental illness that affects your mood, understanding of yourself, and understanding of your relationship with the world around you. It may also be called clinical depression, major depressive disorder, or major depression.

Some of the symptoms of depression include:

• Think, move, and speak slowly.
• Give up on personal hygiene and grooming.
• Having difficulty eating or overeating, combined with weight gain or loss.
• Quickly become agitated or cry uncontrollably.
• Suicidal thoughts or actions, or a lack of interest and enjoyment in activities you used to find pleasurable

If, unfortunately, you fall within the spectrum of those who are slipping into depression as a result of working from home, all hope isn’t lost. Flexible offices are here to save you!

Flexible Offices

Flexible workspaces can come in different shades and forms. Flexible office space, also known as flex space, is an umbrella term for several types of workspace, including:

• Serviced offices
• Serviced private offices
• Managed offices
• Shared workspaces
• Co-working spaces
• Hot desks

A flexible workspace has been linked to mental health in various ways. For example, having the freedom to work when and where one wants can improve focus and productivity. Adapting the workspace to individual needs can also help reduce stress and increase overall happiness. A co-working space has all the amenities required for a workplace. Additionally, it has play areas, and the management can organise events to relieve workplace stress. It has a relaxed atmosphere where people can mingle with staff from other businesses. Such interactions give room for opinions to be shared and lessons drawn from the wide range of knowledge banks others have.

Additionally, interacting with others and discussing issues will reduce stress and improve mental health.

How Does a Flexible Office Contribute to Better Mental Health?

1. Environment Change and Flexibility

A great way to break off the monotony and pull yourself out of a depressive rut is to have the option to jolt your routine. Even though working from home is convenient and maybe a pleasant way to spend some of your work days, going to a co-working space a few days a week can give your week structure and give you something to hope for firmly. In addition, co-working workplaces facilitate the transition to flexible work. You might start early or stay late, depending on your most productive work hours and plans.

2. Gain Better Work-Life Balance

Setting boundaries between work and life outside work are important. Working remotely can blur the distinction between them since you work where you also eat and sleep. As a result, you might overwork yourself without realising it, which could result in burnout. The best way to overcome this difficulty is to use co-working spaces to achieve work-life balance. While working from a shared office, it’s simpler to establish a routine and keep track of time. You can plan your day, take advantage of dedicated workspaces and quiet areas, and use shared offices’ focus-raising features. All of these factors enable you to have an organised work life, improving your personal life.

3. A productive workplace

Shared workspaces today are probably built with convenience in mind. The amenities you need to increase productivity are all available in shared offices, including well-stocked desks, comfortable furniture, designated meeting rooms, recreation areas, communal spaces, and cafeterias. As a result, you accomplish various tasks, giving you plenty of time for your personal life.

What Is Included in Flexible Office Space?

The amenities provided by a flexible office vary by location. Still, in general, they include all of your office necessities, such as furniture, cleaning services, high-speed internet, and security personnel, to name a few.

Furthermore, most professionally serviced and managed offices provide additional amenities. Here are some examples:

• Conference rooms
• Breakout area
• Kitchens
•  Special event space
• Fitness facilities
• Toilets and showers
• Wellness and fitness programmes

How Do I Locate a Flexible Office Space?

Glendale, as an expert in all flexible office solutions, can assist you in finding the ideal office space for your company. We’ve created the perfect office space marketplace that allows you to search and compare the entire flexible office market. We have locations in Victoria Island, Ikoyi, Ikeja and Lekki.

In conclusion, flexible offices eliminate the hassle of office management by having another company manage utilities and the day-to-day running of the building, with costs simplified into a single all-inclusive monthly fee.

There is a high possibility you spend 6 hours and above at work daily. Approximately 30 hours in your week are spent at work and about 120 hours or more in a month. In other words, one-third of your life is spent in the workplace. If you spend that amount of hours at work, the only way to make the best of it is to ensure that your office space is as comfortable and conducive as possible. You wouldn’t want to be in a workplace that makes you uncomfortable and drains you both physically and mentally.

Unarguably, events of the past 2 years have greatly influenced the nature of work, especially how and where people work. A close look at the current office system shows that the work module has gradually tilted towards serviced office spaces and serviced private office spaces in the aftermath of the pandemic. The pandemic revealed that purchasing or renting fancy apartments that do not completely meet the work need of companies may not necessarily be the best option. Hence, the trends have taken over the workspace.

Here are 4 workspace trends witnessed in the year 2022 that you should know:

1. More companies have embraced remote work:

Before the pandemic era, the thought of remote work was only left to the imagination, as it was believed not to be feasible. However, the crisis has revealed that it can be achieved. Most companies have now accepted that securing a workspace is also a means to save costs. The new normal for such companies is getting a serviced office in Lagos, either in Ikoyi or Victoria island, which happens to be one of the highbrow areas of the city that give comfort for their meetings while their staff work remotely. On the other hand, some companies try to find a balance by getting their staff to work hybrid, with their office in a serviced office space in Lagos.

• Mental awareness in the workspace:

Many employers are taking the wellness and well-being of their employees more seriously since they spend most of their time in the workplace. With the increase in mental health awareness, some companies made medical care more available to their employees by signing up for HMOs while giving more room for recuperating for those battling mental challenges. This is a break from the norm, where it was previously believed that mental health was unimportant on this side of the globe.

Employers have also realised that the state of the workspace can affect employees, which will, in the long run, affect productivity. This has prompted a comprehensive plan to take care of employees’ mental, emotional and psychological state by creating a conducive co-working space that accommodates every employee. Employers who still require their employees to resume in the office ensure that a safe and stress-free environment is of more priority for the workspace than just focusing on beauty to enhance productivity and creativity.

• Inclusion and diversity:

Many organisations have diversified their recruitment process to accommodate both genders and various ethnic groups. Gone are the days of stereotypes, as males and females can now thrive in various industries. Presently, the number of females in the tech world is increasing, to mention a few. In addition, Gen Zs are giving everyone a run for their money as they flood the workplace with a variety of skills and talent as never seen before. We can say that the workspace is gradually becoming a place of equal opportunities.

• The relocation trend:

We cannot ignore the fact that 2022 has seen many employees leaving the country mainly to acquire their Master’s degree or upgrade their skills. The relocation trend is not limited to a particular demographic, as both young and old have grabbed the opportunity with both hands.

With the remote work module adopted by some organisations, their relocating employees still retain their jobs while away without resignation. Some of these employees even secure jobs in their new locations while studying and retaining their jobs in their previous areas of residence.

These workspace trends, without a doubt, have come to stay, and as time evolves, we can be sure that there will be more changes to the workspace.