It’s been a long week. You’re feeling stressed and put out, and it’s only Thursday. The more our mental and physical health declines, the more damage our productivity takes. If you’re not lucky enough to start the next week feeling refreshed, your productivity is going to suffer for another week. An endless cycle of work and stress. But it doesn’t need to be that way. The first step is identifying when you are feeling overwhelmed and taking action to improve your circumstances.
Spotting lack of productivity
Common signs that you’re less productive than normal are:
- Poorer work performance and outcomes
- Slower working
- Stress and general overwhelm / finding simple tasks difficult
- Negative performance feedback from colleagues or managers
- Insomnia due to workloads
- Working longer hours to try and catch up
Consequently, your mental and physical health can suffer in the following ways:
- Sleep deprivation
- Higher blood pressure
- Strains and cramps
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Low self esteem
- Stress
There’s a vicious downward spiral when it comes to lack of productivity and poor mental and physical health. The worse we feel, the less productive we are. And the less productive we are, the worse we feel. This spiral can lead to employment issues, career stagnation, sick time or even unemployment.
Achieving good mental and physical health is possible and there are a great many ways we can go about it.
One such way is by improving our office spaces. For the great number of us currently working from home, our home office is our canvas. Allowing you to choose from a range of products that aren’t just pleasant to look at, giving you that mental health boost, but are good for your physical health too.
Good Posture is a Gateway to Better Physical Health
Good posture is hard to achieve when office workers spend nearly 6 hours a day sitting at a desk working. Chances are when working from home, you may also be putting in some extra hours. That’s not to mention any personal time spent online at a desk.
Whilst there are many tips to achieving good posture, each as important as the last, you can make this far easier on your spine by looking into ergonomic chairs. Chairs like the FlexiChair BackSupport Office Chair offer ergonomic support for your body. The fabric and design used in this chair reduce the long term stress and discomfort that comes from working day in day out at your desk. Whilst the seat itself is designed in a W shape, which is especially comfortable for sitting for long periods of time. What’s more, breathable mesh avoids trapping any odours. Let’s face it, a smelly chair isn’t going to help your mental health whilst working.
A great chair is a good place to start, but we shouldn’t understate the importance of a suitable desk. With the rise in popularity of standing or adjustable desks, options like the Esben Height-Adjustable Desk make for a perfect home office addition. Designed without distractions, this height-adjustable desk is perfect at being just that, a desk. Leaving you clear and free to focus on the work that matters. In addition to built-in USBs and adequate storage space, the Esben desk can be adjusted as low as 75 to as high as 125cm, finding you the perfect position to work in. When you can work comfortably without back or neck pain, you’re far more likely to find yourself productive.
The Importance of Monitor Height
Chairs, desks and the occasional stretch aren’t the only factors that can improve your mental and physical health whilst working. There are in fact many considerations when it comes to your monitor. The height, your physical distance from the screen and the angle of the said screen are all essential in ensuring good posture. Monitor mounts like the Single Arm Aluminum Monitor Mount make a world of difference in terms of customizability. Rather than sitting your monitor on your desk and being at the mercy of the stand height, you can raise, lower, push and pull your monitor to get the best position for you. With full 360 rotation and an ergonomic design, you’ll find your physical health improves rapidly, with your mental health not far behind.
Take Care of Yourself This Year
With the sheer amount of time we all spend at our desks working, you can’t forget to take care of your physical and mental health. By achieving better physical and mental health, you can begin to see positive changes in the workplace, including better productivity. You can start that process by browsing our online ergonomic furniture store to find the perfect fit for your home office. If you need any help choosing the right furniture and equipment to achieve your physical and mental health goals, speak to us.
