Working from home seemed like a temporary solution during the pandemics, but as time passes, it becomes clear that remote work is here to stay. Over the past few years, business owners and employees have been able to assess and verify the advantages and disadvantages of working from home and most of them have reached the conclusion that the good outweighs the bad. If you are lucky enough to be able to work from home, you should know that a functional home office setup can make a huge difference. A perfect office should be practical, ergonomic, comfortable, and personal – so don’t be afraid to customize your space and use your creativity.
If you are not sure where to start, keep reading as we’ve compiled a list of a few easy and effective ways to improve your home office set-up.
Prioritize Comfort and Invest in Ergonomic Furniture
Being comfortable while you work is essential and there are many different ways in which you can make your workspace more comfortable. If you have a full-time job, it is very likely to spend half of your day in your home office, and the last thing you want is to be in pain at the end of the day. A bad seating arrangement can lead to a lot of discomforts, back problems, stress, and other health issues. According to a recent study, more than half of the people who worked remotely reported suffering from neck and back pain. When you work from home and you don’t have a designated work space, you end up working on the kitchen counter or the sofa and you don’t realize that your back is suffering.
Back pain can turn into a serious issue and it can prevent you from being productive and from leading a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, it is very important to invest in a high-quality chair that will support your back. When choosing your chair it’s recommended to consider different aspects such as the fabric, the adjustable features, and the size. Leather and fauxleather are popular fabrics for office chairs, but they can get very hot and sticky during the summer. If you plan on working over the summer months, and the weather tends to be hot in your area, it might be best to choose a mesh chair. Before you press the purchase button, make sure you read the customer reviews and see if other buyers were happy with the product. The review section is very important and you can learn all sorts of interesting things about the product that you are interested in, and even about similar products.
Open the curtains and enjoy the natural light
If you don’t have a lot of free space in your home chances are your current office is in a dark corner of the bedroom. Natural light is very important and studies have shown that it can actually improve productivity significantly. People who work in offices with large windows are happier and healthier. Natural light can prevent you from getting headaches, eye strain, drowsiness, and other similar problems. Aside from the numerous health benefits, natural light will also boost your mood as it is aesthetically pleasing. There is a very good reason why open-space offices are trending. Natural light will make a small space look bigger and it will make you feel more connected with nature and with the outside world. If you can’t find a well-lit room to set up your office, you can always invest in a garden office pod or a garden cabin. Garden cabins are versatile structures made of timber or recycled materials that are equipped with large windows that let lots of natural light in.
Keep your office tidy and organized
Studies have shown that people who work in messy home offices tend to be more depressed, more stressed, and less productive. The truth is,that no one can function properly in a messy environment. Clutter is a major distraction that also invites laziness and procrastination. If you’ve worked from home for a while now, you might already feel that your room is too cramped and that you are slowly losing interest in completing your tasks.
The good news is a tidy home office will improve your mood and it will boost your productivity. There are many easy ways to keep your home office organized – you can invest in binders, filing cabinets, pen pots, and paper trays, but it can all be in vain if you don’t have enough space in your home. A garden office pod is a great solution to the lack of space problem. In a garden pod, you’ll have plenty of room for cabinets, more spacious desks, shelves, and so on.
In Conclusion
Working from home can be a great experience if you invest some time, effort, and money into improving your setup. Working from the living room sofa should only be a temporary solution, as it will affect your back over time. Prioritize comfort and equip your home office with a high-quality ergonomic chair and your back will thank you for it. In addition to that, make sure you keep your workspace tidy and organized and let the natural light in to avoid eye problems and headaches.
