Social interactions and human society are the basis for nearly every part of our life: you can see it in the way we choose our families, our friends, our work offices, and now, even where we choose to live. Coliving is the crossroads between community driven environments that promote social interactions on a daily basis. Thus, it should come as no surprise, that communities, and consequently, coliving, comes with a multitude of health and wellness benefits. Let’s dive into some of the benefits you should expect by moving into a coliving community.
Improvement in Mental Health
According to the standards and research set by Well “mental health is not simply the absence of a mental health condition. Rather, it is a state of well-being in which individuals are able to live to their fullest potential, cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively and contribute to their community.” When humans are no longer in a positive mental state, they suffer from a myriad of difficulties, including an increased risk of heart disease, memory decline, depression, diabetes, arthritis, stress substance abuse, and in extreme cases, death. One of the largest causes of these mental health problems and risk factors is loneliness as a result of mental or physical isolation. The greatest positive that comes from Coliving housing is the direct access to communities. A strong community is essential to long term health, and connection is one of the tenants of the world’s Blue Zones. The Okinawans call this, Moai, building environments that support events helping to mitigate adverse mental outcomes as a result of being or feeling alone. Important strategies, especially in large cities where Coliving communities exist, allow residents greater access to outdoor spaces that are filled with greenery, designated work spaces built around productivity, and zones that are separated just for “play”. These can all positively impact one’s quality of life as well as greatly enhance the overall health status of a person. These “super homes” allow for residents to find their tribes and meet like-minded people that help aid in building relationships and fostering good habits. In all, this approach to healthy living can in turn help to solve one of the greatest modern problems of our time, loneliness.
Promotion of Cognitive Skills
The connection, inspiration, and encouragement found in coliving communities is one of the best ways to promote one’s cognitive skills. Enjoying activities with friends and loved ones protects these skills from fading or diminishing from our memory. You are what you practice, and sometimes as adults, practice is something we do not do enough. And there really are some things that practicing alone does not help promote in terms of cognitive skills. This is where the coliving communities and friendships built from them come into play. Studies have shown that sharing laughter and fun with others can foster empathy, compassion, trust, and intimacy. These traits help lead to a fuller life, and a better mentally stable situation.
Reduce Age-Related Health Decline
One of the greatest needs of a person aging is retaining the image and meaning of what it means to be “individual.” And although it may seem counter-intuitive, being surrounded by a community has been proven to have positive impacts towards creating environments for being self-sufficient. Communities help establish frameworks around the cleanliness of the environment, the expectancy for self-care and regulation, as well as the importance of not self-isolating too often. Each of these are common pitfalls that led to a greater and more rapid decline in health as we age and grow older. Coliving has been shown as a positive contributor and solution around the globe to foster the environments necessary for people to build the connections necessary to help individuals feel both cared for, and encouraged, to live a better life both mentally and physically.
Opportunities and Collaboration
There is a saying that has been popularized by some of the great modern psychologists and self-help gurus. It goes: “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Of course, there are the traditional ways of meeting these people: going to art galleries, rock climbing gyms, art classes, and the list goes on for various activities, but coliving presents a unique way to meet people who you know are like-minded. Furthermore, this collaborative environment sets up various events that are interested in honing in your skills together. These communities help foster relationships where people can trade their experiences and help each other become successful in who they want to be, all without the added stress of worrying about chance meetings. When a community is built in from the start, it means that the opportunities for professional and personal growth and networking can only be compounded and enhanced. When the environment is built for building success, opportunities and collaboration are natural consequences which eventually shape who you are as a person.