Tips for Setting up the Perfect Home Office
Working from home has many advantages. Fewer stops at Esso, less distracting chats over the water cooler, and the ability to chuck a load of laundry into the washer during your lunch break.
One of the downsides? You need to properly outfit your space with quality furniture, lighting, and network needs. Here are five things to consider when designing the perfect remote working space.
1. Lighting—Your eyes will thank you
You probably recall from Balaklava’s last blog called “How Improper Lighting Is Affecting Your Health in Ways You Didn’t Even Realize” that appropriate illumination is essential for good health. It’s also critical when it comes to creating optimal working conditions. Functional lighting means increased focus, fewer headaches, and increased productivity.
Care to guess what the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) claims are the most common workplace lighting issues?
- Insufficient or poorly distributed lighting. Do you find yourself squinting or suffering from dry eyes?
- Glare. If you need a set of office aviators to get the job done, there’s a problem.
- Improper contrast. Your work area should be brighter than the surrounding office areas.
- Flicker. Loose bulbs, overloaded circuits, old wiring or incompatible dimmer switches can cause irritating flashes. You want to avoid this—unless you’re aiming for the Studio 54 vibe, of course.
2. A stable network—Your patience will thank you
When it comes to your network, your business needs reliability and uninterrupted connectivity. No one wants their network buffering just as you’re about to present year-end figures or Zoom with a key client. Bufferbloat (say that fast ten times) is not as fun as it sounds. Rather, it’s what happens when software spikes during uploads or downloads. Balaklava can help ensure that the dreaded Bufferbloat doesn’t happen in your home office space.
3. Furniture—Your spine will thank you
You spend a lot of your work week stuck to your leather stool. When your chair isn’t a quality one, your body can suffer musculoskeletal issues, poor blood circulation, weight gain, digestive problems, and fatigue.
To avoid pain in your back, neck, and shoulders and endless trips to the chiropractor, be sure to purchase a chair with “dynamic sitting” capability. Consider a desk that converts to standing.
To ensure you have the correct ergonomic height setting for your chair, desk, and monitor, set your space up carefully. This will depend on your height as well as the type of work you do. Watch the video at the end of this article to discover helpful hints on how to do this.
4. Temperature control—Your hypothalamus will thank you
Too much heat, or too much chill, will invite your brain to the “impaired decision-making party” where loot bags include irritability, poor concentration, and muscle cramps. Not to mention, no one likes shivering or sweating through their workday.
You’ll want a smart thermostat and automated shades that lower or rise with the sun’s brightness, regulating room temperature and brightness without you having to think or tinker.
5. Dual-monitor setup—Your mouse-clicking fingers will thank you
It’s become much more popular in recent years to see desks with more than one screen. Some statistics claim that productivity increases by up to 40% as dual monitors allow employees the ability to seamlessly compare multiple documents and information at once.
Bernie Thompson explains that they “directly impact employee output, accuracy, and satisfaction.” No more click-click-clicking windows open and shut and then sighing as one major document is accidentally shoved back into cyberspace.
Working from home is a reality for many people. Be sure that your remote working space is working for you.
Fun fact that involves simplifying your life: Balaklava can organize all of your shades, computer screens, temperature control, and lighting needs into a “scene”. All you need to do is press “home office” (or “welcome” or whatever you choose to call your automation scene) on your phone or smart switch, and Presto! All is ready.
You just need to plop into your body-friendly chair and be your brilliant self.
And P.S. If you get sick of being in your home office or want a space where all of these awesome, automated techie features are already in place, send us an email or give us a call to find out about office rental by the half-day, day, week, or month.
