I've been eyeing coworking spaces in my new town. I never thought going to an office filled with strangers would be part of my remote work setup, but lately it seems like a smart move for overall mental wellbeing.

On the one hand, I appreciate a separation between activities. Forks are for stabbing, spoons for stirring. Multi-use tools tend to do jobs less effectively than dedicated tools. Sporks are neither excellent stabbers nor stirrers. You can muddle through, but why settle for 80% effectiveness?

On the other hand, I like being minimalistic and efficient with tools at my disposal. A single item that can perform multiple tasks is incredibly useful, especially if it's compact and made to last. I have a home with an office space, so why exert time and funds to utilize off-site space?

I tell myself that keeping work activities confined to my home's office space should be good enough. This doesn't consider a large enough picture, though. It's the environment I should consider, the environment within my apartment. The same sounds and smells and lighting dominate my work life and home life. Cross-task monotany builds no matter what I'm doing. By sticking to a single environment I'm denying myself external cues that can facilitate different modes of activity. Instead of going all-in, I'm eighty-percenting both work and home life. Maybe by separating those activities more discretely I can get to 100%.

I've had plenty of success with home office work for the past 15 years. I don't plan on cutting it out completely, as it's far from unbearable even on the worst days. Indulging in a new environment might be a good move to make both work and home life a little sweeter, each in their own separate way.