In my last post, I shared my experiences with setting up a home office and how I overcame various obstacles, in this I’ll share more about my actual set up and what has worked for me.
So the most important part in my office set up is the office furniture. While I started with a simple desk and chair, I really knew I had to invest in better quality furniture. Not only better quality, but also furniture that would help me work better. I firstly bought a better quality chair. This made a huge difference. My simple swivel chair had caused me a fair bit of lower back pain after a few months of working, now I have a chair with proper support, memory foam padding and it’s very comfortable.
I bought a large U-shape desk which works very well for me. To my right I have a large desk area where I can lay out paperwork and have space to work in. My front part is a little narrower, but large enough to have my laptop on and area for my mouse. To my left I have a large monitor and then a second laptop on the right hand wing. With my chair on castors, I am able to maneuver myself easily to where I need to be.
With so much space both above and below my desk, I have a nice hi-fi system so I can play records, hook up to my phone via Bluetooth for other music or podcasts and more.
My goal was to not only have a good ergonomic work area, but also have everything I need to hand and to actually want to be in my office. My mental needs are very much as important as my physical needs in my work place.
This set up does the following for me:
- A nice, pleasant environment to work in
- Open space with plenty of light and my position where I am looking out to the room rather than looking at a wall
- Good quality office furniture to keep my posture right and reduce back or neck pain
- Separation of home and professional life
- Makes my life easier
While my home office has evolved over the years, I now know what works best for me and what I am most comfortable with. My top 5 key suggestions for anyone working from home would be:
- Dedicate an area in your home for your office only. It could be an unused room, basement, empty bedroom etc. But set it up as a dedicated area and if possible, a way to block it off from the rest of the house, eg a door etc
- Get good quality office equipment, desk chair etc. Don’t skimp on this. You’ll be sitting for long periods so you need equipment that will help you, not hinder you.
- Make your office pleasant to be in. Decorate it with things you like. Set your furniture up where it will help you the most. Get the room working for you and you’ll find it easier to go to and stay in.
- Wear office attire to make you feel like you are going to work as normal.
- Find out the best times of the day where you feel most productive if you have that flexibility. For me it’s early start, early finish. For you it may be a later start. Do what works.
- Change things up. Once you have your setup, don’t be afraid to change things up a little as you may find a change actually improves things.
To sum up, it is hard at first to work from home. It takes discipline and practice but stick at it and it will eventually become a habit.
And never forget that the staff at Back and Body Pain Relief are on hand to help you out of pain, whether caused by working from home or any other reason.
