If you’ve ever been on a group retreat or tour or been part of a summer camp program, you probably remember how magical the experience was.
That’s because there’s something about these adventures that elicits near-instant bonding. When you live with the same people you engage in activities with, you have more time to share moments, ordeals, triumphs, and struggles. And this combination of emotions and experience within a condensed time frame cultivates a deep connection.
The coliving experience gives rise to that same feeling. Because coliving communities focus on sharing and collaboration, they present countless opportunities to honestly get to know your roommates.
How coliving helps you form profound connections
The people you meet in your coliving space will be much more than simply people you share resources with. Your housemates will be your partners in adventure, your inspiration for your next business idea, your family at group dinners, and your shoulders to lean on.
Community events
Coliving hosts intentionally foster community engagement through group events. Each space differs in what circumstances they put on and how often they host them, but the baseline is the same: presenting activities to elicit bonding.
Coliving space managers understand that spending quality time together, working towards a common goal, and having each other’s back brings meaning and comfort to life. So, they do everything they can to create moments that act as intermediaries for connection.
For example, the coliving company UP(st)ART in Los Angeles has several open houses for passionate artists looking to further their careers in creative industries. They host weekly activities to foster community, including family dinners, acting, dance, and photography classes, vocal lessons, house concerts, and more.
Source: UP(st)ART – Los Angeles @Coliving.com
The people there have countless opportunities to spend quality time with their roommates while participating in endeavors they collectively enjoy.
A diverse culture
On another note, the people who move into coliving spaces are often from various backgrounds and thus have unique life experiences from one another. This cultural diversity presents exciting opportunities to gain a new perspective on many things. Living in close quarters and attending community events with unalike roommates can be enlightening.
It’s more than simply having a conversation with somebody different from you. These group events help you get to know your housemates profoundly, thus helping you expand your horizons and open your mind.
The benefits of coliving networking opportunities
Besides offering people the chance to get to know each other on a profoundly personal level, coliving spaces also offer unmatched business networking opportunities.
This is especially true in coliving houses designed for entrepreneurs, startup founders, remote workers, and digital nomads. Since the original hacker houses, the idea of gaining business inspiration from and working with the same people you live with has taken off.
Coliving communities capitalize on this movement. Many coliving spaces build coworking rooms within the unit itself. This creates distinct spaces for housemates to focus on their work while simultaneously offering the convenience of collaboration and idea-sharing in chill-out zones throughout the house.
Moreover, these co-living communities organize networking events to help residents meet influential local investors to pitch their ideas to and interact with other entrepreneurs or remote workers.
For example, Startup House in San Francisco arranges investor BBQ pitch parties to introduce entrepreneurs to angel investors.
They also offer free workshops for their colivers, such as product design and growth and fundraising lessons, where they can learn new skills to further business growth.
These events inspire collaboration as professionals have a chance to teach and learn both from and with each other in a shared living space.
How to integrate into a new community fast
While connecting with your new housemates is imminent, you’ll speed up the process by diving into the community events headfirst.
So, it’s a great idea to attend the first community gathering on the calendar. By this point, you’ll probably have met your new housemates already and had some introductory conversations.
But it’s at this first event that you’ll have an opportunity to get to know your new friends on a deeper level. As these events are designed with openness and inclusion, the welcoming atmosphere makes it easy for people to open up. Even something as simple as going around the room and saying your name, where you’re from, what you do, and sharing a secret talent, for example, can catalyze newfound friendship.
From there, you may want to spend time in the communal spaces to allow for conversations to take place organically. While retreating to your room for some alone time is important, putting yourself out there in your first few days or weeks is pivotal to get to know everybody better.
Source: UPS(T)ART – Harvard House @Coliving.com
Once you’re more comfortable, you can organize your outing and invite your community to join. For example, you may be interested in going to a museum but notice that it’s not on the list of community-sponsored events. If that’s the case, select a day and time and invite your new friends to join. More often than not, people will say yes, and you’ll be able to form even more acute bonds with those who come along.
Conversely, if somebody invites you to do something interesting, why not try it? The more you say “yes”, the more you’ll gain from experience.
The key is to commit from the very beginning. You’ll be surprised at how quickly and naturally you form new bonds and how supportive and comfortable the community will make you feel right from the start.
The coliving experience allows us to gain what many people seek: a stimulating community.
Are you ready to join a coliving space and embark on a new journey? Find your home today on coliving.com.
