In the second quarter of 2021, 44% of the UK population were still working from home. Dominant in this group are persons between the ages of 30 and 49 years. The pandemic made this a routine for many people around the world. However, setting up a home office goes beyond having a beautiful design. Instead, it has more to do with function and purpose. Therefore, while setting your home office up, try to avoid these pretty common blunders.
1. Poor lighting
As expected of any office space, it helps to keep the area adequately illuminated. This means, during the day, try to have natural daylight light up the entire home office for work to proceed uninterrupted. At night, the room’s artificial lighting has to be comfortably bright enough to enhance your productivity. Unfortunately, not all home offices have this. Some appear too dark and gloomy, taking away the very essence of the room.
Admittedly, sometimes, it has nothing to do with your failure to light up the room but rather, the positioning of the windows is to blame. If it helps, try to position your workspace to the closest window. This way, you can get the best natural light without spending too much on electricity to power the home office up. Additionally, you can experiment with different light bulbs that feel comfortable on your eyes.
2. Inappropriately sized desk
Ideally, a home office desk should have enough space to hold your work essentials like a laptop, a diary, phone, files, pen and pencil holder, a small printer, etc. These office desks are supposed to provide comfort and convenience. However, some home offices are so inadequately sized that they can make your work cumbersome and constrained. It will help if your focus is not entirely on the physical appeal of the desk. Instead, functionality and quality can be better elements to focus on.
In another instance, the problem may stem from your desk arrangement. For example, if you have so much clutter on your desk, that inadvertently takes up all the space. Again, some individuals prefer to use their limited office desk as a decoration space. If this is you, you may want to reconsider your styling options on your home office desk.
3. Using any chair as an office seat
There is a reason ergonomic chairs are touted as the best seats for office work. They support the back and help to keep you feeling comfortable all day. Ergonomic chairs also offer support for the elbows and are fully adjustable to accommodate different preferences. The human spine has a natural curve to aid mobility, and for that reason, an ergonomic chair follows that pattern. So, even if your home office chair is adjustable, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it is ergonomic. Moreover, it may not be ideal to use a dining chair as a replacement.
Last but not least, a home office with poor ventilation can severely impact your productivity. Therefore, it would be a good idea to keep the place airy and clean to aid your respiration.
Featured image credit: Photo by James McDonald on Unsplash
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