Once again we find ourselves sealed in at home, those of us who can work from home that is, and whether you consider that a good or a bad thing you will have to make the best of it. While working from home will hopefully be a temporary solution, it is important not only to carry on working productively, but also comfortably.
You need a proper place to work
Sometimes it is fun to get out the laptop and browse the internet for an hour on the sofa, but you wouldn’t want to do that for every working hour. Find yourself a proper place with space to work, ideally in a room you wouldn’t normally sit about in. If you work in the same spot you will later relax in, then there is no distinction between work and free time. Mentally you won’t feel completely in work mode or worse, that you haven’t really stopped. Try not to work in a stuffy room, but having a window behind you can be frustrating especially if your screen is very glossy.
You need a proper setup
Assuming you find a nice area to work in, you still need to put your computer or work somewhere, not to mention your good self. A good table (one that doesn’t wobble) and a comfortable chair are vital for any sustained period of sitting. Dining chairs are ok for the time it takes to eat dinner, but 8 hours on a wooden seat every day will take its toll. A decent office chair or gaming chair would be a good addition if you have the space and money to spare, as they are adjustable. Finding the perfect table is a little trickier, and ideally you should have your elbows touch the surface when at the lowest position so your forearms are mostly flat. Your screen ideally should be at your eye level, but since laptops have keyboards built in this isn’t always easy to achieve and that leads me to my next point. Buy a better keyboard and mouse as laptop keyboards are adequate, but they aren’t the best option. A separate keyboard and mouse will be quicker and more comfortable. The same goes for other things such as headsets and cameras – if you are going to use them a lot, get something decent.
Be more productive
Everyone knows a computer generally needs a screen to be used, and most people don’t realise that their computer can probably support an extra screen, sometimes two. Many laptops are designed to be light and portable. Having a large screen works against this and in addition cheaper computers tend to have lower quality screens with fewer pixels. This limits what you can see at any one time and in some cases can prevent full use of apps. A second screen can really help save time that would otherwise be spent swapping apps and minimizing programs. Those few moments saved add up quickly and you will find operating the computer a lot less of a chore.
Take a break, and don’t work in just pants
The novelty of working from home might tempt you to roll out of bed at 8:55am and plop in front of the PC while the kettle boils, still wearing PJs, or perhaps you never even make it out of bed. This is probably fine once or twice but when the novelty becomes the norm then you will lose the feeling of professionalism, and you won’t be nearly as awake or engaged as if you had woken up early for your commute. If possible, continue your morning routine, and consider taking a short walk before sitting down. Since you are going to be sitting all day it will help you to wake up. Similarly getting properly dressed and ready to go out if needed might seem like a waste of time, but again, it can help to feel more professional. Be sure to get up and take a break, don’t feel guilty. Time away from screens is important, so try not to default to your phone.
Distractions
Being distracted from work isn’t great, but sometimes a small amount can actually be helpful for some. Quiet lyric-less music or radio can work well. TV should be avoided as it will draw your eyes – I personally find a muted TV to be incredibly distracting. One of the worst offenders for distractions is the humble kitchen kettle. Knowing that a cup of tea or coffee is just metres away can be very tempting, and it might seem silly but it does take a little time up. Personal experience has shown me first-hand what caffeine can do, and when you combine that with the limited exercise and outdoors time, it can become an issue when you need to sleep. Lack of sleep as we all know is not fun, and it will affect your work. This can become a vicious cycle and as I write this I am finishing my fifth coffee of the day!
Hopefully you have learned a few ways to improve working from home. Unfortunately nobody can say for sure how long it will continue – businesses may adopt the policy permanently in some cases, but I hope you may re-evaluate your “that’ll do” setup and replace the rickety chair you’ve been stuck with.
Ben
If you would like to talk to us about anything mentioned in this article then please do not hesitate to contact me. You can reach me via email kamila@octagontech.com or phone me on 01522 797520.
Kamila
