Coworking is quickly being recognised as not only a new working style, but a lifestyle that’s helping those involved lead happier and healthier lives. Increasingly it’s becoming evident that coworking is not just great for work and productivity, but for overall well-being. Especially for the lone worker, coworking’s encouragement of collaboration can create a personal sense of purposeful belonging to something bigger. The acclaimed Harvard Business Review even declared from their own research that people who use coworking spaces in turn see their own work as more meaningful.
At Avenue HQ Liverpool, we wanted to go one step further than what the general coworking concept provides, well-being wise. Past the beautiful design and layout of the workspace, at Avenue HQ we value the importance of connectivity within the community and strive to create an environment where our members have the opportunity to truly be mindful. That’s exactly how AHQ Weeks of Wellness, or the more catchy #AHQWoW was born. Since the programme’s launch back in January, Avenue HQ have arranged at least one session a day, ranging from Tai Chi to Salsa dancing, Ukulele playing to Book Clubs, all dedicated to enhancing member wellbeing.
While some sessions have been purely for fun or our own pleasure (the Puppy Day Team AHQ must admit was a personal request), there’s a much deeper meaning and important undertone to the whole programme. Employers and workspaces alike must begin to take responsibility for their employees and residents’ wellbeing. It’s time the workplace age old phrase ‘leave it at home’, is left alone all together – bringing your whole self to work should be celebrated, not discouraged. If an individual doesn’t feel as though they are in a supportive environment to talk openly, or at least have the opportunity, time and space to reflect, then something needs altering.
Increasingly, the workplace is no longer the stuffy traditional office individuals get in and out of as fast as humanly possible. For many, work admittedly takes up a large chunk of their day-to-day life. That’s why Avenue HQ Liverpool and many coworking campuses alike, are designed as completely comprehensive locations with onsite coffee shops, countless breakout spaces boasting breathtaking views of the city and full working time flexibility, with twenty four hour access to the facility; all of which contribute to the creation of a work-life without limits.
Due to the success of the AHQWoW programme and the positive response received from members, Avenue HQ will continue to arrange daily wellbeing sessions, helping to provide our members with time for headspace, time to relax and time to talk. As so greatly put by Avenue HQ’s Director; ‘We spend a third of our lives in work, so we may as well try to enjoy ourselves’.
The Observatory at Avenue HQ, Liverpool