Many of us are remote working for the first time, and have come to find that our home workspace isn’t quite up to the task. As many of our temporary at-home work situation has stretched into it’s 6th month, it’s well past time to stop working crouched over the kitchen table. Even if you were fortunate to have a home office setup already, it probably wasn’t intended for 8 hour days. No matter what kind of space is available to you, there are steps you can take to improve your work area.
It’s worth it to take the time to make improvements. The environment we’re in has a profound impact on our productivity and well-being. Making small adjustments now can mean being happier and less distracted during your workday — and even positively impact your health. From lighting adjustments to cool additions like custom writable surfaces, our suggestions will help you transform your workspace into the perfect home office.
If You Upgrade Just One Thing – Upgrade Your Chair
Even if you haven’t been indulging in extra relaxed work postures, your home office probably isn’t as ergonomic as your work office. If you were one of the many who made the rushed switch to remote work during the pandemic, you probably didn’t have much time to prepare a great workspace. Maybe you’re using an extra kitchen stool or trying to work bent over at a coffee table.
If you have the space for it, an ergonomic office chair is probably the best investment you (or hopefully your boss) can make towards your productivity and well-being. Lower back pain is no joke, and little aches easily turn into long term painful problems. And a good chair isn’t just important to your health. One study found that those who had an ergonomic chair had a 17% increase in productivity.
Get Personal
For the first few weeks of remote work, my desk was a mess of cords bundled behind my hastily set up work computer on my cleared off drafting table. It wasn’t exactly the prettiest setup. But it worked for a temporary workstation. Only… it’s not that temporary anymore. Many of us have been working at home for months — and will continue to do so for months to come. So take a little time to make it a space you enjoy working in.
Most of us probably aren’t going to be creating a beautifully decorated Instagram worthy room. But there’s plenty of small things you can do to brighten up the space you’re spending 8 hours a day in. Add something to the walls that’ll make you smile — whether that’s photos of family or friends, a cool piece of art, or a funny calendar.
Pick up a plant for your desk! Not only are they a great way to add a splash of color to your space, they have some surprising wellness benefits. They’re natural stress relievers and have been shown to increase your productivity and happiness. Just be careful to choose something that will survive in the natural daylight (or lack thereof) in your office. And if you really doubt your abilities to keep plants alive, there’s some pretty realistic artificial options.
Light Up Your World
Nothing beats natural light. There are dozens of studies about the many benefits natural light has on your health. It improves your sleep, increases your energy, and leads to less eyestrain and fewer headaches. I could go on. If you have the option to set up your workspace in some sunlight, then take advantage. Keep your computer monitors perpendicular to the window to reduce glare, and soak up the many benefits of sunshine.
Unfortunately, natural light just isn’t an option for everyone’s situation. Sometimes the windowless corner of the garage is all you got. Use indirect lighting to diffuse the brightness. Lampshades will prevent harsh glares that can cause eyestrain or migraines.
A task light is invaluable for providing adequate brightness when and where you need it. It’s there when you need an extra bit of light for focused tasks so that you don’t need to keep your whole office at headache-causing levels of brightness.
Get Organized with peerhatch
We’ve covered the basics, but it you want to take your office to the next level there are plenty of possibilities. From standing desks to wireless phone chargers, there’s tons of great gadgets to choose from. peerhatch is a dry-erase writable wall covering. It easily installs — you simply peel and stick to your wall. Available in many designs such as beach scenes and grids, it provides a perfect space to write on while making your office space more beautiful.
It can be hard to stay organized between balancing home and work responsibilities (and for some workers — managing your kids’ home schooling). peerhatch is the perfect tool to keep you organized amid the chaos. Use it for tracking tasks, brainstorming, scheduling work responsibilities, or writing reminders. Then wipe it clean and start fresh.
In Conclusion…
From writable walls to ergonomic chairs, we’ve covered plenty of tips to help you start revamping your office space. No matter your budget, there are steps you can take to make a more pleasant work area. Remote working has been a difficult adjustment for many of us, but with a few changes you can make it a much better experience.