If you’re working from home, you know how difficult it can be to get in the mood for work. In this article, we will tell you how to equip your workplace according to the rules of ergonomics. These recommendations will aid you not only in choosing good items for your home office, but also in organizing your work and increasing your personal efficiency.
Ergonomics of the office
Ergonomics is a scientific discipline that studies the compatibility of a person and an office environment in order to increase productivity. The goal of ergonomics is to help you organize your workflow and improve your efficiency. Another essence of ergonomics can be reduced to the concepts of convenience, comfort and safety.
Two components in the organization of a workplace at home:
1. Psychology
The workplace is not just a table with a chair. It is necessary to equip it so that consciousness can quickly switch to work.
Sometimes, you just can’t gather your thoughts and make yourself sit down. Of course, you can postpone work for various reasons, but some of the issues lie in the field of ergonomics:
Firstly, usually, there isn’t a switch from “home” mode to “working” mode, because the scenery around has not changed.
Secondly, if you don’t have a clearly defined space for working, it’s likely that all your papers are all around the house. Sometimes, you just want to have your notebook in the right place, along with all the other things you need laid out in a certain order, so that tomorrow you can come and start from the point where you finished yesterday.
2. Technical details
You have to find furniture that will be comfortable and safe for you, plus correctly arrange it within the office. For this, take a look at the awesome collection of logan furniture, by following the link!
Why is a door so important?
The key to productivity is having some work boundaries in your flat or home. The house should not only be perceived as a place to live and rest.
Someone solves this problem by going to cafes or co-working spaces with a laptop. Still, such places are not always at hand. Therefore, it is important to organize the opportunity to “go to work” at home. The main factor for this is that the room in which you work has a door, even if you live alone.
Set up your desktop properly
Putting the table in front of the window, with your back to the door is a common option, because it’s nice to look out the window when looking up from the computer. Still, while sitting with our backs to the door, we involuntarily feel danger. The emptiness behind your back also creates tension and anxiety, even if there is no one at home but you.
The ideal table position is sideways to the door, sideways to the window and back to the wall. Sitting with your back to the window is not very convenient – the sunlight will make your computer screen shine.
Create a nice accent on the wall opposite of you
You can make this wall the accent of the room – paint it in your favorite color or use some wallpaper. This will create the feeling of a special zone that will set you up for positive emotions.
- Hang your favorite picture, photo or cool calendar there.
- Set up an aquarium with fish
- Place your wish card there.
- Arrange a couch for a cat to smile more often and thereby give the brain the necessary unloading.
- Make a “board of honor” – put up and hang cups, medals, photographs, books, gifts and other evidence of success.
This wall is designed just for such things – giving a feeling of strength, harmony, inspiration.
Furniture selection
The issue here is that the correct position of the body at the table depends not only on height, but also on the proportions of the body. Two people with the same height may have different leg lengths, which affects the comfortable position of the body while working. Therefore, it is wiser to choose an adjustable height table for yourself.
We recommend choosing an orthopedic chair with a comfortable back and neck support. Keep in mind that when sitting, your legs should be firmly planted on the floor and bent at a 90 degree angle.
How to create a nice background for video broadcasts and online meetings
If part of your job is video-related—speaking at online events, consulting online, or creating video content— the picture behind your back matters a lot.
If you have shelves hanging in the background or wallpaper with a large pattern pasted, do a test shoot or video call and see how it looks on camera. Such interior details can create a comical effect for the audience. For example, the head can look as if it “lies” on the shelf, a bouquet of flowers “grows” from the back of your head, stripes on the wallpaper create the effect of hare ears.
The ideal background is a plain wall in a neutral color. The matte texture will provide a more regular and soft light. It should be psychologically comfortable for you and match the color of your skin, eyes, hair. Avoid greens and yellows as they can make your face look greenish or sickly.
If the background behind you is not the most successful, and starting repairs is not included in your plans, you can order a portable shooting background – a press wall.
It can be made monochromatic or with your brand name, logo and other information about your business printed on it. At the same time, pay attention that these elements of the press wall do not play the same cruel joke in the frame as shelves or wallpaper with a pattern.
If you do not want to order a press wall, hang a poster, map, calendar, picture or self-adhesive wallpaper on the wall behind your back. Moreover, consider both the recommendations above and the fact that these interior elements reflect your positioning, look harmoniously + stylishly in a frame.
How to equip a workplace without a separate office
If you don’t have a separate room, you can arrange a tech support workplace on an insulated balcony. There, you can place a small table and chair. This, in essence, is enough to set up a place for work.
The same rules apply when organizing a workplace in a room. Which room to choose for work depends on your circumstances, habits and daily routine in the family, your feeling of comfort in one or the other part of the house.
When finding such a place, it is important to place all the work-related items there. You must also have a personal light source. This is important not only for eye health, but also for zoning. Your own light source will immediately indicate that this place is your work area.
In conclusion, we believe that simple rituals help one switch to a working state. For example, if you set up a workspace in your bedroom, make the bed as soon as you wake up. Since you did that, the space is now an office and, after breakfast, you can come there to work. Make everything strict and clear for your brain, with no exceptions.