Is napping at coworking spaces really a thing?
Artist Tim Cole snoozes after installing a solo show in the GW gallery.
We probably owe the evolution of the modern workspace to those posh campuses in Silicon Valley: game rooms, couches, gourmet food, yoga, and car washes seem like great perks to improve employee quality of life. But is it really just a clever trap to ensure that you NEVER leave the office?
Coworking: Work with options
Enter the coworking movement. One of the guiding principles of coworking is that we show up to work at the office because we want to… not because we have to. And yet many of our spaces feature similar perks: at Groundwork! we have a hammock, bean bag, dart board, and ping pong table.
I’ve visited many spaces that have a nap area incorporated into the office layout:
Do people really, actually sleep at coworking spaces?
While the answer is yes, napping has yet to become a common phenomenon.
At Groundwork! our favorite napping area is the large blue bean bag in the Doug Out room. You can reserve this room for 20 minutes, lock the door, and snooze without worry of interruption. I’ve had some epic power naps in the Doug Out.
GW member Doug Lane uses the bean bag in his namesake room.
We also have a hammock for folks who don’t mind sleeping out in the open. I’ve napped in the hammock: throw a scarf over your head and put your headphones in, and the rest of the world disappears.
Still, many people chuckle at the sight of me taking a nap:
Did she have a rough night?
The truth: sometimes I get that late afternoon slump. And rather than reach for the caffeine or waste time sleepily on Facebook because I can’t focus on anything else, I elect to close my eyes for a few.
Napping keeps me on task. After a 20 minute power nap I return to my desk and get a couple more hours of high productivity before I leave the office.
The perfect work life balance
It’s a pretty exciting time to be alive, and the work day is evolving quickly. While some of us pursue Tim Ferriss’s 4-Hour Work Week, others throw themselves into marathon days of coding, gaming, and napping. I’d like to think that coworking offers us something in the middle: a space where work and life seamlessly integrate. At a coworking space you can meet friends, socialize, take a nap, and get shit done so that you have more time to get outside, play with the kids, or do whatever it is that makes you happy.
Editor note: We made this list of top coworking spaces for napping! Check it out.
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