Improve Your Home Workspace With These Pointers
With lockdowns back and people being encouraged to stay in as much as possible, working from home has reentered the picture in Beijing. Therefore, it's time to think a little more long-term about our work from home situations. Even without fancy ergonomic chairs and standing desks, it is still possible to improve your work office situation, with a few simple solutions.
It's especially important to get as much natural light as possible during your work hours, so try to position your workspace next to a window. Position your computer facing north or south so that the sun isn't throwing directly onto your screen monitor and causing extra glare.
"Sit up straight!" Can you hear your mom's voice ringing in your ears? If you don't have an office chair at home, a simple dining chair will do. Put a pillow behind your lower back to discourage slouching, and sit on another one if you need a bit of extra height. While working at the computer, your forearms should rest parallel to the ground, not reaching up to the keyboard. Feet dangling on the floor? Rest them on a box or some books.
Plugging in a separate keyboard and mouse can dramatically improve your comfort levels
If you have spares, or can get hold of them, plug a separate keyboard and mouse into your computer at the USB ports, then raise the laptop with books and boxes so your eyes are level with the top of the screen. This will discourage 'tech neck' and improve your overall posture. Conversely, plug your laptop into another larger screen via HDMI cable and type from your laptop.
The advantage of working from home is that you can play whatever music you like, without wearing headphones. Search online for free playlists that will set the right pace according to your mood and the kind of task you're working on. Some of my personal favorites include Spotify's Focus Beats or Chill Beats. Others in the Beijinger office like looking up lo-fi mixes, which can be found on Spotify or else with a quick search on the Netease app. Listening to radio in a language that you don't speak can also be useful if you find yourself getting distracted by lyrics, and almost all world radio stations can be streamed online (via radio.garden).
Stretchly is a free software that helps you to take regular breaks throughout your day. The settings are adjustable, but the default setting locks the screen for five minutes, every 20 minutes, with shorter micro-breaks in between. It sounds like a lot of breaks, but 20 minutes is often cited as the recommended maximum sitting time for desk work. Use the break to move around, stretch, stare out of the window, make a cup of tea or practice your yo-yo but try to avoid looking at your phone as the point is to rest your eyes and your mind.
Another free and ad-free software that can help your working situation is F.lux. This one (which I've been using for years) mimics the movement of the sun by adjusting the brightness and color of your screen throughout the day. As the blue light emitted by most devices is aggressive to the eyes and can interfere with sleep, F.lux changes your screen to a range of yellow tones. It can be deactivated for an hour at a time (such as if you are editing images or doing other color-sensitive work), and is especially useful for preventing working too late: as the sun sets, the color of your screen changes noticeably, reminding you of the time.
Cute to look at, great to talk to: is a cactus the perfect colleague?
According to a report by the American Psychological Association (access full report at The Guardian via QR code below), the worst possible workspace from a productivity and mental health perspective is one without souvenirs, pictures, and house plants. Does this sound like your home office? Brighten up the area immediately around your computer by placing a few well-chosen pictures, flowers or plants, and any other things that make you smile. Just don't go too overboard, as a cluttered workspace is likely to have the opposite effect.
Drink plenty of water, try to eat well, take regular breaks to move around, stretch, and try to get outside at least once a day even if it's just to walk around the block.
Did we miss any other useful tips or software? Tell us in the comments.
Images: Mia Baker (via Unsplash), Content Hacker
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