Now that working remotely from home is the new normal, it’s more important than ever to look at our work space. Typing away on your laptop while slouched on your couch may have been okay for a few hours once in a blue moon, but it’s definitely not a good long-term solution for forty-plus hour working weeks.
Rather than creating massive neck or back problems from working wherever, now’s the time to ensure your home office promotes productivity and supports your overall health and wellbeing. Simply by following the tips below, you can ensure your home office is a positive and professional environment for whenever you’re working remotely.
Setting Up Your Work Area
One of the largest problems when working remotely from home the distinction between your personal life and work life is considerably reduced. That’s why the first thing you should do is find somewhere suitable you can set up as a totally separate work environment. Preferably this will be an existing home office or a spare room you can convert into one because you can isolate yourself completely and concentrate on work.
If you don’t have a spare room available, that’s no problem. Simply look for other home office options like setting up a desk in a corner or along a window, as long as you can find a suitable area to set aside as your workspace. Creating an office nook is another great option for those with less available space in their home. It doesn’t really matter what best suits you and your home, as long as you eventually end up with a dedicated area where you can concentrate on being productive during work hours.
Ergonomics Matter
Once you’ve decided on your work area, or if you’ve already got one set up, it’s time to start thinking about ergonomics. By implementing good office ergonomics in your workspace, you’ll be much more comfortable at work with better posture, higher productivity, and more focus. From there, ergonomics can help you work more efficiently by lowering stress from repetitive tasks and reducing strain on your neck and back from awkward positions. That means looking at desk height, keyboard position, screen height, text size, and the most important of all, the office chair.
In fact, if you only decide to change one aspect of your working environment at home, it should definitely be your chair. Because good productivity while working from home starts and ends with a good office chair. When looking for an ergonomic office chair, the most effective ones can be adjusted to suit your body by changing seat height as well as the tilt action. It also needs to have plenty of movement with an adjustable backrest and more than adequate lumbar support.
Exercise During Breaks
Everyone knows that physical activity is essential for your physical health as well as your mental wellbeing overall, but many don’t realise how important it is to stand up and take regular breaks from your computer. While taking a break is essential to prevent eye strain and increase productivity, making time for physical exercise also helps increase energy levels, improve decision-making abilities, and sustain concentration longer.
So, take a break for at least 30 minutes and get outside for some exercise in the sunlight twice a day. You can either practise doing some relaxing yoga, go all out with some heart-pumping training, or swim a few laps in your backyard pool. I mean, everyone knows just how refreshing it is for their body to take a dip in a swimming pool on a scorching hot day, imagine how refreshing it would be for your mind after a morning of monotonous work. No matter what physical movement or stretching you choose, taking exercise breaks from work reduces physical fatigue and mental stress.
Touch Up With Greenery
Adding a splash of green with a few desk plants in your home office can really have a massive impact on your productivity and happiness alike. Putting a few indoor plants around your office is even more important if you don’t have any windows overlooking natural space like a garden area. Caring for indoor plants each morning is also a good habit that gets you slowly into the right mindset of preparing for your work day ahead. Simply by surrounding the area around your workspace with just a little foliage, they can help lower blood pressure, reduce stress levels, and boost your mood overall.
While the main goal is creating an engaging work environment which actively boosts your performance, office plants can also refresh the atmosphere inside your office space. That’s because house plants are extremely effective at reducing the amount of harmful toxins which improves the indoor air quality. So even if you only have limited space in your home office or corner area, just a small plant on one end of your desk can ultimately make all the difference to your working environment.
Final Thoughts
The comfort, accessibility, and control that comes with working remotely is like a dream come true for many people. But in order to make this viable in the long term for you, your health, and your boss, it’s critical to focus on ensuring your home office is an organized and productive yet relaxing sanctuary.
