As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the year 2020 has seen more people working from home than ever before. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing depends on your personal circumstances; working at home can feel quite lonely if you’re used to the hustle and bustle of an office, but on the plus side, there’s no commute. Goodness knows how much money we’ve collectively saved on petrol, train tickets and bus fares since COVID-19 arrived on these shores!
And there have been benefits for employers, too. While many people have now returned to their normal places of work, some businesses have acquired a taste for remote working and opted to make it their new normal. Which makes sense – why fork out for rent, utility bills, and all the other expenses associated with running an office if your employees can do their jobs just as well from their respective dwellings?
Of course, that raises the question: /can/ you work just as efficiently at home as you can in the office? The answer is largely dependent on the space in which you’re doing your work. Uncomfortable seating, an unfavourable climate, a lack of space, housemates constantly passing through…all of these things can have a negative impact on your personal productivity, so it’s important to find the best possible location.
If you’re going to be working from home on a permanent basis, it’s worth spending a bit of money on your workspace to make sure it’s as conducive as possible to a good day’s work. Here are a few tips to help you fine-tune your home working area…
Make Sure You've Got Plenty Of Room
Nobody likes working in cramped conditions, so try to find a spot where you can spread out and feel comfortable even when you’re at your busiest.
But don’t worry if you don’t have much square footage at your disposal – the mere /sense/ of space can go a long way towards helping you achieve the right mindset. Beyond finding a well-lit area that’s not cluttered with bric-a-brac, there are lots of interior design tricks you can use to make a room feel bigger than it truly is; swapping your carpet for outdoorsy porcelain tiles is a great move, and of course, a strategically-placed mirror works wonders.
Are You Sitting Comfortably?
Sitting up to the kitchen table and working on your laptop for eight hours a day is a recipe for back, neck and shoulder pain. Make sure you have a comfortable chair to sit in and try to set up your workstation in such a way as to encourage good postural health.
Remember: sit up straight, place your feet flat on the floor, and position your computer so that the top of the screen is roughly level with your eyes.
Find A Private Place To Work
This can be difficult when you live with other people – especially if they’re working from home too – but do try to work in a spot where distractions will be kept to a minimum.
If possible, avoid communal areas like the kitchen and living room; instead, turn an unused corner of your bedroom into a makeshift workspace. You might even consider converting the spare room (if you have one) into your very own home office.
Blog by Jason Cole PrimaPorcelain