Working from home has many benefits – it can save you money, make you more productive, give you a happy and loyal workforce and is potentially eco-friendlier too (no more commuting). Yet sometimes your home office is just not a comfortable place to be, and that will cause you to be unable to work as well as you might. So, it is wise to add some comforting touches when you can in order to give you the best possible chance of getting your work done.
Go Outside
Sometimes the problem with your home office is just that; it is in your home. Now, although that is the point of remote working, it can be a problem if you have a busy household or there are other distractions around you all the time. If you can’t have a dedicated, quiet space to work in (for example, if you are working in the corner of a bedroom or living room where other people are) then you won’t be able to get as much done.
If there is no room you can claim as your own, why not make one? You can use space in your yard and have Armstrong Steel buildings there to act as your office and potentially storeroom. Now you can work at home but out of the house. This has the added benefit of giving you the chance to step away each evening and not go back to work until the next day, thus helping with the work-life balance everyone needs.
Change Position
Sitting in one position for hours at a time is sure to become uncomfortable after a while. It’s also bad for your posture, and you can have back, hip, neck and shoulder pain because of it. Changing position regularly, or at least getting up from your desk to stretch and move around every hour or so, will help you. Your muscles will stretch out and you will feel better.
If you can use furniture that helps you to change position too, that’s a good idea. There are desks you can purchase that change from sitting to standing, giving you the option to change your stance through the day. Even if you don’t have a desk like this, ensuring that the one you are using (and the chair that goes with it) are ergonomic will also help your comfort levels.
The Right Lighting
Lighting is a very important consideration for any home office. The more you can see, the more productive you will be at work, and you will feel better too. Eye strain from working in dim conditions will cause headaches, for example.
You might be working in a bedroom which was never intended for bright lighting; quite the opposite, in fact. The lighting could be inadequate, but if you haven’t thought about it, you might not have noticed – although your headaches could be a clue.
Having a desk lamp can be a good way to compensate for the low level of lighting in the room you are using. You can light up the area you are working on and save your eyes, getting more work done in the process.