The image is by Samar Haddad of The Verge.
More people are working from home than ever before, but it isn't all lollipops and daffodils. While there may have been some early excitement about not having to commute, an actual home office can be downright depressing and uncomfortable. I should know.
I have worked from home for most of the last decade, even when I was a camper van. I was able to keep my body healthy and my mind sane because of the constraints on my home office. Some of the tips and items made the biggest difference for me.
There is a desk setup.
If you only do one thing, make sure your desk and chair are comfortable. It kind of has to be because each body is different. It might be a medieval torture device if you find it comfortable. When I bought a desk online that had good reviews, the front of the desk was not set to the correct height, and it ended up in my thighs. Not good! If you can, try to sit at a desk before buying it. A standing desk can increase the number of positions you can work from. I couldn't find one that worked with the rest of my setup.
I think the chair is more important than the desk. You will want something that supports the lower back. Working hunched over can cause damage to your body, and your shoulders, back, and neck will suffer. The chairs don't have to be expensive. It is possible to find used office chairs on sites such as Nextdoor. I tried out the Herman Miller Aeron in a store and found a used one for 30 percent of the cost of a new one on the internet. The gaming chairs are built for long periods of sitting. Make sure it will fit in your desk.
Let's talk about what goes on top of your desk. If you work in a field where a second screen is important, you should consider an extra monitor for your computer. It makes it much easier to multi-task. If you use a laptop, it could be very illuminating. I switched back to a desktop setup with a Dell tower with an Intel Core i7 and an Nvidia RTX 3070, which has been great for photo and video editing as well as VR gaming breaks, and instead of two monitors, I went with one big one. I chose the Dell UltraSharp 32 4K monitor, and I am in love with it. If you don't photo or video edit, you don't need something that high-end. The purpose is to give yourself more time to work.
Light.
Different shades of light can affect our minds and bodies. They could affect a lot of things. I know that it isn't always possible to set up an office near a big window that gets decent light. The next best thing is a set of lights.
When I was a resident of that area, I used to set them up inside my van. The system comes pre-programmed with "Energize" and "Concentrate" settings that I really find useful, because the system was pre-programmed after a lot of work on its light recipes. When I first wake up, I use Energize, which is slightly warmer, and then Concentrate, which is slightly warmer, for the bulk of my workday. I will switch it over to the Reading setting when I am ready to stop. There are a lot of other brands of color-changing lights out there, and if they don't have preset colors, you can experiment with different shades of light. It is a small thing, but it makes a huge difference in the way your home office feels.
Plants and animals.
There is something about surrounding yourself with living things that makes your home office feel more natural. Plants can change the feel of a room and make the air a bit more fresh. I would suggest putting them close to your desk so they get plenty of light. I recently got the small Rise Garden, which is a Hydroponic garden, if that is an issue. I am bad with plants, but it allowed me to grow a lot of fresh herbs, which made my apartment smell amazing. If that feels excessive, you can start with this cool looking snake plant that is $35.
I know a lot of people who have adopted puppies and kittens. It definitely wasn't for me, that's cool, and maybe that's a great fit for your life. I got a hummingbirdfeeder.
Noupscale is a file on thechorusasset.com.
The HummZinger.
The image is called Aspects.
I got this one because it's simple and it has anti-ant and anti-fly protection. I'm now obsessed. Whenever one of those little guys shows up, I stop what I'm doing and just watch. It helps me feel like I am still part of the natural cycle when I am on my computer. If you like bird feeders, you can get a regular one, but I don't like cleaning bird poop off of my lawn, and hummingbirds are nice and tidy.
Take care of your body.
Eliminating your commute may have a negative impact on your body. Being that sedentary really isn't good for you, as you could not leave your home for days on end. Get up and move. You do not need a fancy home gym. You can get a yoga mat and watch workouts on the internet. Even when you don't want to, force yourself to go for walks. Stretch!
If I go running, I tend to get knots in my legs and shoulders. I like the Hypervolt 2. It is portable, powerful, and has five different attachment for different muscles. It is not cheap, but it has been worth it to me. I am obsessed with a pair of slippers from LL Bean. I work in them all day and then lounge in them the rest of the evening.
There are snacks and meals.
This is a difficult item. It can be tempting to just eat all day when you have unrestricted access to your fridge and snack cabinets. What do you do? The strategy that has worked best for me is to fill your kitchen with healthy foods and only healthy foods. Yes, really. I will eat those chips if I wander into my kitchen and want a snack. If I go there, I will only eat carrots and sugar snaps. I have to use my tendency toward slothfulness against my tendency for more than one thing.
I have to use my slothfulness to my advantage.
Better, more sustainable energy levels can be achieved by eating healthier, as opposed to spikes and crashes. I can subjectively feel the difference, but I was able to get hard data to back it up when I reviewed this system. You have to have the will to make a healthy decision when your kitchen is full of highly-processed foods. It is easier to be strong at the grocery store and not have to make a lot of tough decisions in your home.
It's time to call it a day.
You have to know when it is time to quit and then you have to leave. If you were at the office and not at the office, it was your personal time. Working from home makes those lines blurry. It can feel like you have to be reachable at all times. For your own mental health, set some limits for yourself. When office hours are over, get your work done, get up, and walk away from your computer. You will be happy that you did, and you will come back to your office tomorrow refreshed and ready to go.
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