When people were initially asked to work at home when the pandemic started, they were wary about the situation. But after a year of remote work arrangement, they cannot imagine having to wake up early to commute to work.
If you are working from home, you’ll likely want this workplace arrangement to continue even after the pandemic. You won’t have to worry about your outfit of the day or the commute to and from work. But you also need to make your work-from-home arrangement comfortable to ensure you remain productive throughout the day. Here are some ways to increase the comfort level at home while you work.
Take Care of Yourself
When you work at home, one of the things you’ll likely miss is the ergonomic office chair. The chair made it comfortable to work in front of the computer. You may even have had an adjustable workstation. Unless your company had these items sent to your home, you’d likely be using a regular chair with the computer on top of a kitchen table.
You may be tempted to buy an ergonomic chair and adjustable table for your workstation. But you do not have to spend a lot of money to increase the comfort level while working. One advantage of your current arrangement is that you can easily change your sitting position whenever you want to. You can stand in front of the computer, get a different chair, or even use a yoga block on the floor while putting your laptop on a coffee table.
Another option is getting an electric body massager and setting it up on your chair to give you a massage while you’re sitting. Getting this device might not be possible in an office setting due to the rules set by the office manager. And at home, you are the office manager, and you can use any device you want to make your working arrangements comfortable.
Use the Time You Saved from Commuting
When you started working from home, you did not need to commute to and from work. You can use the time you save for other things. One thing that you may want to do is to get a few more minutes of shuteye so you’ll feel well-rested when you start working.
You can also the time to psyche yourself up for work by performing stretching exercises. Yoga is another option to get your mindset ready for work since it helps you manage stress. It also makes you feel alert and in a better mood when you practice yoga.
Whatever you do with the extra time, it’s best to include it in your daily schedule so you’ll know what to do every time you wake up in the morning. You can also use the time to relax and have a cup of coffee or tea on your front porch.
Get Your Daily Dose of Sunshine
When you started working from home, you may have stayed most of the time indoors. And instead of going out to buy supplies, you had them delivered to your home. Due to this, you probably have not seen the sun that much since the pandemic started.
But sunlight offers a lot of benefits for your health. So, you should get your daily dose of sunlight every morning. You can use the time you save from the daily commute to go out and have a coffee or tea on your porch. You can even check your garden if you have one every morning. Another option is for you to set up your workspace close to a window.
Studies have shown that people who get enough sunlight every day experience less stress at work. They also get to sleep well at night. It also decreases the risk of major depression due to seasonal patterns. So, getting enough sunlight should be among the thing should do every day.
Get Some Indoor Plants
Getting some indoor plants also makes your working environment less toxic since the plants can reduce toxins in the air. Greenery also reduces anxiety and stress, which may come when deadlines start to loom. When you have plants in your workspace, you’ll also notice that your productivity increases along with your creativity.
You will also have better concentration when you have plants inside the home and close to your workspace. But you should also make sure to take care of your plants so that they can take care of you. You can include bringing them out to have a bit of sunshine every morning in your daily routine.
Working from home can be challenging for some people. But if they know what to do to make their remote work arrangements more comfortable, their productivity will increase and stress levels will decrease.