Of the challenges recent global health events have brought, one of the most significant obstacles was adapting to work from home. With the introduction of government-imposed social distancing restrictions, businesses have had to reshape their workforce to accommodate contactless work environments. This has resulted in the mass adoption of remote work settings across various tertiary business sectors. A decentralized organizational structure like remote work provides a lot of flexibility but also a lot of unexpected hurdles. One of these is a lack of a dedicated at-home work environment. When quarantine began, not many employees had prepared their homes for the transition to remote work. This meant that millions of people were working at dinner tables with insufficient privacy, back support, and workspace. Environments like these are detrimental to one’s mental health as well as their productivity. Not being able to separate one’s work from one’s home is an incredibly difficult phenomenon. To help overcome some of the challenges of working remotely, here are a few of the ways one can upgrade their temporary home office setup to support both their work life and home life.

Acquire an Ergonomic Chair

One of the worst parts about working remotely is the lack of essential office equipment, like a supportive, high-quality office chair. Despite the convenience of a table, working at the kitchen table may cause a person more harm than good. This is because sitting is a particularly harmful posture on the human body already. The sustained angle and position of one’s back and shoulders is conducive to serious strain and pain when unattended. Those who have sat at kitchen tables for extended periods of time will know that an unsupportive chair can cause debilitating amounts of tension and sometimes even chronic pain. Combined with the stress of work and the pandemic, it is not unreasonable for the tension in one’s lower back and shoulder muscles to compound and worsen. Avoidable pain like this can lead to an even worse mental state and even lower productivity. The number one solution to overcome an inadequate office chair is to acquire a better one.

There are a huge variety of ergonomic chairs that a remote worker can choose from to maximize their at-home productivity. How successful these chairs are in facilitating an efficient, productive, and healthy work posture depends on the kind of features one is looking for. Some chairs offer more mesh-based materials that are forgiving for different positions; others offer an arc shape in their chair back that is designed to support a specific upright posture. The choice of chair will depend on the individual, but its importance is unwavering.

A Desk That Accommodates

One’s workspace has a profound influence on the quality of work one is able to accomplish. This all starts with the amount of space one has available. A small work desk may limit the amount of work one is able to accomplish, simply based on the fact it may not be able to fit all the necessary equipment one needs e.g., a computer and a notebook. This may seem like a foolish statement, but one’s choice of workspace, surface, or desk also has a dramatic effect on one’s posture.

The height of one’s work desk can impact the angle at which one sits during the workday. If this angle forces the user to be bent over or leaning backward, then the desk is not properly-sized. One great solution to the sizing problem is to acquire a desk that is adjustable. A popular choice amongst work-from-home employees over the past year has been the adjustable standing desk. This desk allows its user to not only adjust the sitting height of the desk as they see fit but also to standing height of the desk as they see fit. Standing desks have proven to provide various health benefits when performed in various bursts. The reasoning is that the individual who is standing is able to engage in their legs and core as they work as opposed to just sitting. Sitting, as one may know, is an incredibly harmful position when sustained for extended periods. Standing, too, can offer similar consequences when held for long durations. Interchanging these two positions is a great way for remote workers to regulate their movement, maximize their posture, and stay active all at the same time.

Lighting

As most working professionals will know, there are many days during the year where one is working beyond the regular daylight hours. Dark environments can make it difficult to take notes but also perform work calls. Now that video chat has become an integral part of remote work environments; lighting has become a valuable aesthetic and professional investment. A bright light allows owners to not only illuminate their work but also their own faces. This is particularly valuable for those who lack a sufficient natural light source.

Consider Relocating to a Better Space

No one was sufficiently prepared for a work and lifestyle change this dramatic. So it makes sense that an individual or family would live in an apartment or home that doesn’t adequately support at-home work and living. Rather than waste one’s time trying to add amenities to a place that isn’t conducive to work and personal life, it might be time to consider switching living arrangements. Relocating to a bigger and/or more accommodating space might be the best choice for those with families with children who need a better separation of work, family, and personal time. If this is the case, one will need a high-quality moving company from Fort Collins. Some of the moving services in Fort Collins even include same-home item relocation. For individuals and families who don’t want to switch homes but rather reorganize their home – or even remodel their home – movers from Fort Collins can be hired to do as little or as much as one needs. This is particularly useful during renovations or if a homeowner wants to turn a bedroom into an office space. After all, many hands make light work.