Transforming your favorite bar into your second office
Focus on this picture: the typical drinking night with your colleagues or friends at the nearest bar on the weekends. Now imagine you are making money in that moment, while you enjoy the atmosphere of freedom and tranquility. That is right; find yourself working on your personal or professional projects at any hour, focused and carefree, while enjoying your favorite cocktail or drink: wonderful, right? Every now and then it is reasonable to stretch yourself a little and clear your mind while you are in the middle of a hard task.
Alcohol can be a stress reliever for those moments of heavy duty, we all know it but, what would you think if it also could give you the opportunity to improve your concentration and support your creativity, besides your cognitive and problem solving skills during your work day?
Mixing alcohol while you are working might sound like something crazy; however, if we stay within the allowed limits, booze can become a tool that significantly increases productivity.
Changing horizons: the quest for new lands
Unlike some freelancers, start-ups and remote employees who visit the typical local areas conditioned to work (such as coffee shops), looking for alternatives to change their daily routine, there is a group of individuals who seek a little more comfortable and less crowded place, finding in bars and pubs a pleasant and an attractive choice. It is not just the cocktail consumption what attracts the eye: we are talking about a matter of location and an atmosphere.
In contrast to the crowded atmosphere of the coffee shops, a bar can represent a more reliable option to help you get into a more relaxed mood and a suitable ambience to work in, where probably the only sound you are going to hear will be from crashing glasses while someone is saying cheers! Every day more and more bars are opening their doors from earlier hours (and taking advantage from their slower hours) to offer their clients another kind of service: a cozy and carefree space that functions as a virtual office. It is a more controlled environment to be productive in, where you can find electric plugs everywhere and strong Wi-Fi that is secure and fast: it is the small little details that can really affect your experience; it has to provide the most productive way to work. Furthermore, bar owners are more than happy to get some revenue outside its normal business hours.
A paradigm shift: let’s try something new
Every once in a while, we find ourselves in a stressful situation during our daily work routine, and a coffee is not powerful enough to get our motivation going; when you are working from your nearest bar you can choose something a little stronger to warm things up and put your mind to work. From time to time it is nice to have the opportunity to sip a cold beer or a good wine while you decide your next move, as it can help your mind explore unorthodox solutions. That is why a lot of people are choosing this alternative as their new tool to increase productivity but, do not get me wrong, nobody wants to get things out of hand thanks to a few drinks.
Even science supports this theory: most of the time being too focused on a task can make us lose sight of the solution, and appropriate alcohol consumption can improve certain skills that are required to keep an active mind and the creative flows running at full speed, and also is good for the heart and circulatory system.
In fact, let’s talk about a few benefits:
Beer: an appropriate consumption helps to maintain bone strength, but a lot can cause osteoporosis. Also reduces the risk of having a stroke or developing cardiovascular disease and kidney stones decreases. Helps to control the blood sugar and decreases the chance of diabetes.
Vodka: increases high-density lipoprotein cholesterol or “good” cholesterol levels, keeping your heart healthy. It has sleep-inducing properties, anesthetic qualities and a calming effect on the brain, plus eliminates toxins from the hair and skin.
Whiskey: a single shot of your favorite whiskey helps you let go of stress and lead to the right mood. It contains no fat and very little sodium, aiding the weight loss.
Wine: reduces risk of dementia and Alzheimer, improve blood flow to the brain, lowers danger of heart disease and Type 2 Diabetes and offers the best protection out of all types of booze.
So, you should not worry if someone is surprised when you tell them you are occasionally drinking some alcohol during your work day: the idea is based on the opportunity of being able to work in a place with as few distractions as possible; a place where you can stimulate your ideas and do your work while immersing yourself in the most productive environment possible, including the chance to create a sense of community and get along with people who inspire you. A nice thing about this situation is finding people who are self-employed or working for different employers, sharing equipment, talking and collaborating so they share their ideas and knowledge.
Seeing the world through different glasses
There is a sense of freedom in the fact of being able to have a drink or two whenever you want during your work day without getting in trouble, since you feel you have total control of the situation, you know yourself well and you know that obviously it will not become an obstacle to your creativity. Regardless of what you do, there will always be a time when you would want to clear your mind for a while before you go on with your tasks, charged in renewed energy: especially when you are approaching the work deadlines, in a race against the clock.
On the other hand, working remotely from your local bar (as your second office) is a great idea in terms of low-cost budget. You have access to all the features that a traditional office has to offer, in addition to having a varied set of drinks and meals at your disposal to keep you focused and working throughout your stay; all this for a much lower price compared to the rent of a private office, a co-working space or any other shop. It translates in paying only for the space you require, nothing less. All you really need is a place to sit down comfortably for a few hours, put your laptop in hard-working mode whilst connected to a high speed internet connection and let your brain do the rest, without losing all your money in the process.
The ideal scenario would be to work in a space that is suitable, flexible, safe, easy to find and has all the comforts, so you just enjoy the marvels of being able to work from a different location every day. It is about providing what you need to give the maximum of your potential in your daily work. Those places should definitely provide reliable and fast wi-fi access, enough room for meetings, calls and interviews, and comfy rest areas: it should provide every single thing you need to work efficiently and without a problem.
Also, think about the possibility of making contacts in a social and commercial domain where, under normal conditions, you might not be able to find. You can get the most out of the potential to work with people with a similar mindset, goals and preferences as you in a co-working environment, keeping your hard earned individuality in the meantime.
Working locally: it’s all about location and time
From another point of view, you surely contribute to local businesses by helping to increase their income (so they are not just closed to the public or even empty during the early hours of the day), working there for a few days a week. That way they obtain some extra money and you get a nice place to work from time to time; so everybody wins.
If we go deeper you are winning more than that because, when you work in your local area, you save some time and cash: instead of having to waste a considerable amount of time since you leave home until you get to your usual office thanks to the traffic (time that can perfectly be invested in something more productive), you can use it efficiently and get better results.
