We need to talk about: The Mental Health of the Remote Workforce
Kate Harwood
Co-founder, Haymaker
Kate has been a remote worker since 2013. She enjoys working from a quiet space with a view of a garden, where she can step outside to take mini-breaks.
As we wrap up the month of May, Mental Health Awareness month, I’ve been reflecting on how one’s work environment, including the space in which you physically occupy for work, affects your mental health.
Working remotely, and even from your home has a lot of benefits, and 86% of employees want fully-remote or remote-first work environments*. However, long term, remote work can be isolating. You can start to experience zoom fatigue, and your work/life balance can become unstable when you are working and living from the same physical space.
As a remote worker, I found that getting out of my own home to work was helpful to my own well-being. But the available options just weren’t right for me. The coffee shop didn’t cut it – I can’t do my calls from there. And co-working hasn’t been the right fit –there are still distractions and, well, just too many people around.
As a co-founder of Haymaker, I set out to create a better solution for remote workers. This, for me, allowed me to get out of my own home, to a space where I am comfortable, can focus and get my best work done.
I also need a space where I can collaborate with my co-workers in person. We loved reading an article from the New York Times last year about collective effervescence. This is the concept to describe the sense of energy and harmony people feel when they come together in a group around a shared purpose, something that can also contribute to a healthier mental state.
Whether it’s for you, or for your team, for an hour of focused work, or a day of group planning, Haymaker offers solutions for the many-faceted needs of the remote workforce, and is helping to create the space, both physically and mentally, to get your best work done.
Check out the Haymaker marketplace to find space that fits your needs. Search now at haymakerspace.com.