Covid-19 has made work from home the new normal. Find out what you should do if your return to office has been indefinitely postponed.
It has been a long time since countless people were forced to work from home, after the Covid-19 pandemic hit the world in 2020. It does not seem to end soon, and approximately 86 percent of remote workers have already reported high levels of burnout.
This article outlines simple actions you may take to make remote work a more enjoyable and productive experience.
Keep your workplace apart from the rest of your house, if you work from home. Due to this you will be able to concentrate on your work and boost your productivity. Natural light has been found in studies to increase productivity and decrease sleepiness. If you get very nervous or upset as you are in a tight space, shift your desk closer to a window or decorate it to let in more natural light.
Given below are three ways to refresh your Work from Home area, if your return to the workplace has been postponed forever due to Covid-19.
The most important thing is to check that you have an ergonomic workstation
Working from home with restricted movement can be taxing on your eyes, wrists, neck, and back. This can adversely affect your health.
Dr. Nina Geromel, a physical therapist in Milwaukee, has helped numerous clients reduce body aches while working from home by advising them to take three simple actions.
First, from your typical seating position, glance at your monitor and extend your arms straight out in front of you. Geromel advises that your fingertips should not be any closer or further away from the screen, or you will strain your eyes.
Another fast test from Geromel that can assist with neck and back pain is to stare straight ahead while sitting at your desk and ensure your eyes land on your PC monitor’s top border. Geromel claims that our natural sight is roughly 20 degrees down from our eyes, therefore this test assures that your screen is neither too high or low.
Geromel also recommends examining your elbows to ensure they are bent to around 90 degrees, or slightly more, so your forearms are angled down toward your keyboard.
Set your limits
According to Amy Tokos, president of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals, we’ve been restricting ourselves to these confined places where we’re working, living, and doing everything during the pandemic. There is no clear distinction between work and non-work… Our brain is always juggling these competing thoughts.
Tokos says if you work from home you should keep a separate notepad in your desk to jot down all non-work-related thoughts and tasks that come to mind. You should then stash it away until your work is finished.
Tokos also recommends purchasing a hanging file rack and noise-cancelling headphones that light up when in use to improve focus and organisation. The latter lets those at home know when you’re on a work call or can’t be bothered.
Many people do not have the money (or the space) for a private at-home office, but there are still methods to divide your workspace from the rest of your home. To create visual boundaries, engineer and design expert Isabelle LaRue suggests using curtains, a bookcase, a panel screen divider, or furniture you already own, such as a couch.
It’s critical to have a dedicated work zone in your home so that when you’re there, you’re completely focused on work and when you leave, you’re done working.
The last but not least important thing is to remember to let in the light
Working in a windowless space with no light quickly stifles creativity. Several studies have found that sitting near a window with natural light increases productivity while decreasing tiredness. LaRue recommends moving your workstation to a window if you’re feeling constrained in your current setting. She says the view might not be spectacular, but having more visual flexibility can make you happier.
If working near a window isn’t an option, LaRue suggests decorating with bright colours, placing mirrors on the wall, or purchasing a few plants to brighten up the space.
She goes on to say that you can even set up a little grow station on your desk or a shelf with a lamp. Anything green or bright helps to give the impression that you’re outside in the sun, even if you’re not.
