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I finally tried that co-working space downtown and it felt weirdly lonely

So I spent last Thursday at Hive Co-Work in Portland, the one with the exposed brick and the $5 cold brew. On one hand, I got more done in 4 hours than I do in a whole week at home, no distractions, no laundry staring at me. But on the other hand, nobody talked to each other. It was like 30 people all silently grinding in their own bubbles, and I left wondering if that's really better than working from my kitchen table. I'm torn between the focus boost and the fact it felt like a library full of strangers with laptops. Do you guys find that co-working spaces actually help with the solo slump, or do they just make the isolation more obvious?
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pat_harris
pat_harris1d agoMost Upvoted
You said "library full of strangers with laptops" and that's exactly it. Same vibe. I went to one of those places for two weeks straight. Nobody even looks up from their screen. Feels like you're paying for a fancier version of being alone but with worse coffee than your own kitchen.
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anna717
anna7171d ago
Different vibe for me honestly, I kinda like the low pressure of being around people who are also just doing their own thing. Keeps me from getting distracted by my phone or fridge at home, which is a win in my book. Not saying it's for everyone @pat_harris, but the shared focus energy works for me even if nobody talks.
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lisab32
lisab3222h ago
Does the kind of work you're doing matter? @anna717, maybe some tasks just hit different in that quiet bubble than others.
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