Ideally, there's a way operating in a particular work environment for donkey years connects with our psychology to make us stay adapted. But when the COVID-19 outbreak surfaced and forced office workers to adopt remote working, they find it difficult to conform to the "new normal".
And the major headache they experience is utter helplessness when it comes to giving work their full concentration. That's why we have decided to share some fascinating tips with you to help you improve your level of efficiency and feel motivated to work.
Top Setup Ideas for Remote Workers
Apart from the sudden shift to remote working, one of the core reasons why remote employees fall into this dungeon of losing focus is because they don't operate in a professional environment. So if we could compare the quality of output produced by this set of remote workers and folks working under an ergonomic setup, the difference will be evident.
Anyway, the good news here is that, even with the limited resources you have, you can design a perfect plan for your productivity by introducing some home office essentials. And when we are finally done, you will understand that little things can make a huge difference.
Let's read further as we show you top picks on how to design a befitting remote office setup that will ignite your productivity.
Secure a Perfect Spot for Your Remote Workspace
This is the basic but most important part for anyone who wants his remote work culture to go some steps higher. It is the foundation and all you're expected to do is survey your house, identify more than one possible spot you can turn to your workspace, and consider their layouts.
Any of these pre-selected places that appeal to you most can now be your workspace. And you need to equip it with office accessories that will make work easier and seamless. After putting everything in place, your mental domain will register and transmit signals to you that anytime you step into the office, it means serious work is about to start.
That's the advantage of dedicating the place to work alone. But if you fall for the temptation to do anything outside work there, your mind might start losing the "work effect". In other words, it doesn't matter if you have limited space or you're blessed with a vast home, you have to carve out a territory for work.
Until then, the productive cells in your brain can be activated. If you have the limited square footage, we will advise that you create an ergonomic office right in your bedroom or anywhere you'll be free from distractions. This idea will put you in your work mode while productivity and focus will find their way back to your work pattern.
Do Not Trivialize Your Comfort
As a remote worker, the worst problem you can create for yourself is when you treat your health with levity. And the displeasing part is that your work performance will also be affected. So if you think your remote office setup is not that necessary, you need to turn a new leaf to avoid things going south.
Now that you understand the importance of remote setup, the next step is for you to fill the workstation with the appropriate essentials. These accessories will help you build efficiency, and pitch you far away from every form of health complication. For starters, we will suggest that you get a height-adjustable standing desk and an ergonomic office chair.
They will keep you safe from neck pain shoulder pain, lower back pain, eye strain, and lots more. These pieces of furniture will also keep your mind active, and your body ready to engage in work.
Spice Up the Workspace with Decors
While many organizations hire Interior designers to help them decorate their spaces, it's nothing beyond what you can do. And depending on your taste and preference, there are different paths you can follow to beautify your home office. But so far, your best bet is plants. Plants are the most effective, cheapest, and safest solution to decorate any spot.
As simple as it sounds, introducing a pot of plants into your home office will illuminate the space, give it a nice smell, and it will also revive your health. It will also improve the quality of the air you breathe in. Most importantly, it will add sensation to the room and make you feel more inventive as you appreciate the beauty of nature around you.
If your office desk is not spacious enough to accommodate the pot, you can place it close to the window where the cool breeze finding its way in will evenly distribute the scent.
Design the Layout
A few years back, office layouts were not accorded importance like we currently have. A typical office was more of having a chair and a desk. However, the latest surveys and research show that the modern office trend is fast changing to accommodate workers' preferences, budget, and the rapport between office design and an employee's mental health.
You need to design your office layout to make it more supportive, collaborative, eco-friendly, and elegant. This means that your design should not be entirely focused on the empty wall in the home office.
Rather, you need to plan how much your budget can afford and how far it can go by getting the right make and model of chair, desk, and other office items. Furthermore, you need to cross your T's and dot your I's to know if the available space will accommodate the items.
Help Your Body Out
Do you remember what we earlier said about the prevalence of shoulder and neck pain among office workers? Yes, the mere fact that you are working from home or you are using ergonomic furniture doesn't mean you should be carefree.
You also need to take conscious steps to help your body improve. While using your monitor or laptop, you should always use a platform to lift the screen to your eye level.
This means that you won't have to bend your head and exert unnecessary pressure on your neck. Do you even know that the average weight of the human head is 12 pounds?
Therefore, bending your neck while trying to maintain contact with the screen adds about 50 pounds of pressure to your neck. You can also get a laptop stand and a detachable mouse and keyboard to give your back full support and your hand enough room to move while working on the PC.
The stand doesn't have to be pricey. But then, nothing is too expensive for your health. If you can't afford a laptop stand, you can always use a box or your books to elevate the screens.
Another item that can also enhance your productivity is the type of chair you use to work. Our opinion here is that if you've been using an unsupportive chair, that's disastrous to your spine and you need to switch to an ergonomic office chair today.
And you should also learn how to sit comfortably. Your feet should be flat on the floor or anti-fatigue mat. You should also have a partially reclined sitting position. That is, you should always sit at a fixed 90° angle. Lastly, you should be able to change the chair's height for your arms to sit equidistant to the ground.
Avoid Clutter
Clutter is the greatest adversary of productivity, and for every contemporary office buildup, you should never be a friend to clutter. Reduce it to the barest minimum. Even if your remote office includes a large desk, bulky chair, heaps of paperwork, a hutch, and cabinets, you need to get the workstation free of clutter by every means possible.
Preventing clutter will also save your brain from experiencing a mental block. Well, that's another common health condition among office employees. Another advantage of decluttering is that it helps you prepare the way for a free flow of ideas. In other words, decluttering breeds innovation while clutter stifles productivity.
When your desk is clean with available space, there's this touch of freshness that welcomes you as you get set for the day's work. So anytime you want to leave the desk, make sure it is decluttered - wipe it, dispose of that heap of papers in the trash can. If you could follow it to heart, you'll soon see your productivity level peak up.
Create a Warm and Bright Vibe
Is there anything worse than working in a gloomy and dark space? The only exception is probably when you're working under blinding lights. We understand that getting the perfect office light is not always a walk in the park but it's worth it.
The first step here is to ensure the main lights are not straining your eyes or making you feel somewhat uncomfortable. If the lighting isn't up to your satisfaction, you can replace it.
And as an alternative, you can combine both overhead lights and lamps to help you hit the best lighting effect. If you'll like to have a real contemporary home office, you can also get smart bulbs that'll afford you the freedom to decide the type of light you want and regulate the brightness.
To protect your eyes from strain, your monitor or laptop should have a similar level of brightness to the room's lighting. And finally, we will recommend that you position your screens in any spot in the room that doesn't have a direct influx of lights from the windows.
Use Cupboards, Boxes, and Shelves
That you have a bunch of overload items to set up in the home office is always daunting, and you're probably confused about how to arrange them. You've got nothing to worry about. The first step you need to take is to secure a permanent place where you can stack these items right in the office.
If you want to have them within your reach always, we suggest that you store them close to your desk. And if you have a set of cupboards or a bookshelf, you can use it to arrange the excess items instead of arranging them on the bare floor.
If your budget allows it, you can purchase a cupboard and it doesn't have to be brand new. If you feel like going the creative or DIY (Do It Yourself) way, you can build a storage unit through free or cheap materials like planks of wood, cinder blocks, pallets, and so on.
Meanwhile, you should also learn to store your possessions in a way that will be faster and easier to locate in the future, and there should be orderliness. Construct a system, develop different categories for the items, arrange the ones you'll need more frequently in the outer part, and store the remaining ones that'll be needed but seldomly.
Get a Reliable Internet Connection
This goes without saying, but a slow or poor internet connection is capable of ruining a day that started on a positive note. Imagine how frustrating it always is when you don't even need it for work, how much more when you need it to stay connected, execute and deliver certain projects?
Or when you're engaging a client and the internet connection goes sour? Therefore, prevention is better than cure and our offer here is that you go for a trustworthy and consistent network provider.
If possible, you can speak with your provider and see if they can offer you an affordable and more solid option.
Allow Natural Light
Do you know why most workplaces operate during the day? That's simple. The day is considered to be the best time to stay productive while the night is for rest.
The reason behind this is that natural light plays a significant role in the human brain's performance level. So we'll advise that you pave way for enough sunlight in your home office and you will notice an improvement in your productivity.
This is supported by a recent report which shows that the agent responsible for impaired vision, eye strain, and headaches - computer vision syndrome - is reduced by almost 90% among remote workers working near their windows or with unhindered access to natural lights.
It finally concluded that such employees have a 10% reduction in fatigue and a 2% boost in productivity. Won't you love to join these lucky remote workers?
Invest in Office Accessories
If you are truly ready to grow your remote work lifestyle, you can't afford to be stingy. That's because the financial investments you make will determine the degree of quality you will have.
But the exciting news is that with the right investment like a pair of noise-canceling headphones during work, you will make massive returns. Why these headphones?
They are built to help you block out external noise anytime you put them on, so you are free from distractions or the fear of not hearing your superiors and teammates during a virtual call. They can also help you achieve a peaceful, high-quality, and concentrated workspace even when you can't escape the noise.
Remember to Feed Your Senses
Hope you've not forgotten your five senses? They also need to be well-fed at this point. Let's start with the sense of smell with the topic of air purity, you should always give your nose a good treat.
Picking up an aroma diffuser or scented candles should work perfectly. You can also use peppermint to push up your concentration. To sharpen your mind, cinnamon will do you a lot of good. For your sense of hearing, let's bring the noise-canceling headphones back. It will provide you with a tranquil and conducive work environment.
You can also listen to white noise to drown and flush out other noises. Once this is done, you are bound to bounce back with optimum comfort and productivity. Over to the sense of sight, you can use color psychology to revamp the home office and you can fly on the wings of artworks and wallpapers to build a serene workplace.
Final Words
Your home office setup does not have to be expensive or huge before it injects its productive fluids into your work life. But with these principles and contemporary home office ideas discussed, we hope you have garnered everything needed to create your customized setup for remote work life.
You can always depend on Flexispot to give you the closest and best experience to a polished workplace. Let's upgrade the space together!
