Rather than trying to fix the rising tide of burnouts, could we take on the cause of those burnouts instead?
I'm talking about our way of life itself.
We all know that there's a problem... burnouts and isolation levels are at their highest ever. Especially amongst millennials and gen z.
Rising to that challenge are some wonderful startup founders – creating apps, platforms and online communities.
... But are we solving the symptoms, not the cause?
We live in cities, scattered.
In small rooms, travelling to meet friends.
Instead of living within real communities.
We sit at laptops, stiff bodied and hunched.
With screens all around us, stealing our attentions.
Instead of having calm & centred minds, with bodies that move freely throughout the day.
We sleep under concrete roofs.
With no idea where our food comes from.
Instead of feeling a part of the natural world, and the wonder of seeing the stars at night.
So... how can we create a more fulfilling way of life?
And start taking on the true cause of these burnouts & loneliness – rather than just the symptoms...
Remote Work Has Given Us A Way
So many of us can now work remotely.
But there seems to be a massive lack of imagination & ambition, on what to do with this newfound freedom?
With the remote work revolution in full swing…
Many people are concluding that they can move out to suburbs & smaller cities.
Or they’re concluding that they can grab their laptop and spend a few months floating around warm countries.
That’s nice, for sure.
But… where’s the imagination here?! Where’s the ambition?!
I mean, if we can remote-work from literally ANYWHERE – we we can also surround ourselves with WHOMEVER WE WANT TO, and fill our time with activities we LOVE.
So why not reimagine our way of life to be the most nourishing it possibly could be?!
If we did that – what would it look like?
I strongly believe that 'Coliving' would be central to that imagining.
Why? Because belonging to a real community is a fundamental human need.
To feel connected, to be loved, to be part of something bigger than yourself.
And remote work has given us the ticket to that lifestlye, without needing to compromise anymore.
We can live in our own private spaces, that are still part of a bigger shared space.
Create real bonds over time, collaborate and have fun together.
All without being stuck to long term leases in overcrowded cities.
Now, I’m not saying that those colivings would be similar to each other. Not at all.
Some people would want a coliving space that’s full of nature, private call booths, and morning wellness activities.
Others may want a coliving that has other parents staying there, with communal education facilities for their kids and bigger bedrooms.
But what is clear, is that if we want to put community and belonging at the heart of our lifestyles –
and not fall into the trap of atomised, isolated living that the previous generation has…
Coliving is our answer.
