Imagine embarking on a journey where every day is an opportunity to build lifelong friendships, foster personal growth, and experience a unique blend of community and independence. This is the world of coliving—a path to discovering your best self in the company of like-minded individuals. As we navigate the stages of your coliving adventure, from choosing the perfect space to reenergizing your friendships long after you’ve left, let’s unlock the secrets to maximizing your coliving experience and finding the perfect balance of togetherness and individuality.
Before Your Coliving Experience:
Choosing the Right Coliving for Yourself:
Your journey begins with a thoughtful selection process. Coliving spaces vary in size, location, and the type of community they offer. It’s essential to choose one that aligns with your values, interests, and goals. Whether you seek a quiet retreat, a bustling urban hub, or a serene beachside hideaway, there’s a perfect coliving space waiting for you. Have no clue where to search? Ask your digital nomad friend for their personal recommendation, Mapmelon is also your best friend for this.
Intention Set Up:
As you embark on your coliving adventure, it’s important to set clear intentions. What do you hope to achieve during your stay? Are you looking to network, focus on personal growth, or simply enjoy the camaraderie? Setting intentions will guide your experience and help you make the most of your time in a shared living environment. This will allow you to stay conscious and mindful about where you stand in your life and seasons in the coliving setup as well.
During Your Stay In A Coliving:
Open Mindset:
The heart of successful coliving lies in a willingness to be open-minded and contribute to the community. Be ready to share your skills, hobbies, and experiences, most importantly, yourself and your life! But also be receptive to what others bring to the table. Give it a chance. Coliving is a two-way street where giving and taking, serving and accepting create a harmonious atmosphere. From my personal experience, you receive much more when you give.
Boundaries – Safety and Communication:
While open-mindedness is key, it’s equally important to establish boundaries for your own safety and effective communication with fellow nomads in the house. Respect the personal space and privacy of your fellow remote workers in the coliving while being proactive in addressing any concerns or issues. Know your limit and say no. Embrace FOMO, learn that you cannot participate in everything and that’s okay. Save the resentment. Quality over quantity. Healthy boundaries foster trust and create a safe and secure living environment for yourself and others.
Work Productivity:
Many remote workers combine work and play. To make the most of your coliving experience, establish a productive routine that balances work responsibilities with social interactions. Utilize all the working space the coliving offers. Call rooms, a terrace outdoor work space, a coworking room, your own desk, find your spot. A structured schedule ensures you achieve your professional goals without missing out on the communal aspects of coliving. Routines to apply wherever you are with flexibility work great here.
Together but Also Alone:
Coliving offers the unique opportunity to connect with others while still enjoying moments of solitude. Embrace both aspects to find your perfect equilibrium. Whether it’s a family dinner, a solo meditation session, or a quiet evening with a book, coliving allows you to be together and alone as needed.
After Your Coliving Experience:
Reenergize Your Friendship:
Coliving isn’t just about the time you spend together; it’s about the lasting bonds you create. After leaving, make an effort to reenergize your friendships. Stay in touch, plan reunions, and keep the spirit of togetherness alive.
Plan Your Next Visit with Your Crew:
Coliving friendships are lifelong connections waiting to be nourished. Plan your next visit to your favorite coliving space with your crew. Share new experiences, explore different locations, and continue building memories together. Expand and strengthen your chosen family!
Create Your Own Temporary Coliving for a Month:
Once you’ve experienced the joys of coliving, why not take the initiative to organize your own coliving adventure with your favorite crew? Gather your newfound friends or like-minded individuals and recreate the magic in a new location. Rent a place together and make your own coliving for a month or two. If you want, add a theme, it will be fun! Climbing house, foodie gathering, marketing entrepreneurs summit, it can be anything everything. It’s a chance to continue the journey of shared experiences and deep connections, but also understand the different aspects of coliving.
Sunny’s Personal Reflection
It has been more than a year since I embarked on my journey through seven distinct colivings across Europe and Africa, driven by my search for a vibrant digital nomad community. While the nomadic lifestyle may occasionally evoke loneliness and instability, my coliving experiences have illuminated the richness and connection this lifestyle can offer—bringing life-changing growth and transformative insights. And most importantly, freedom. Among the group of people who would get you, without explaining every single little thing, because they are in this life as well, I have been free. I have been accepted. I am who I am, with people just as who they are.
If you resonate with my journey, or seek more insights into the nomadic life, explore additional reflections on my blog post on Additional Coliving Guide for Colivers—where I delve into the joys and challenges of the nomadic journey.
In the world of coliving, your journey is a symphony of experiences—from the initial choice to your time in the community, and even after you’ve left. Coliving is an opportunity to discover bliss, nurture personal growth, and cultivate lasting friendships. It’s an adventure where each day holds the promise of a new chapter in your story, waiting for you to embrace. Are you ready to make the most of your coliving experience and write the next chapter of your own journey? Join me in this remarkable exploration.