Working from home comes with many luxuries that simply cannot be mimicked in the office. For one, you get to work from your sofa or your bed. The thought of waking up in the morning and not having to commute, get dressed or even shower before opening your laptop is - well - quite tempting.
Here’s the thing. Working from your bed could be seen as a luxury but in the long term, it might become your worst nightmare. Why? Bad back, poor posture and headaches, to name a few!
Let’s explore the pros and cons of working from your bed.
Pros
1) It’s comfy.
Your bed is the place you go to when you need to relax and sleep. It has positive connotations and so you are bound to feel totally chilled when you’re in there. But remember, the ‘con’ side of this is that you’re not sitting in a way that is beneficial to your body, so while you may feel comfortable and chilled in the short term, in the long term this may not be the case.
2) It’s warm
Those lovely duvet covers are great in winter, right? Snuggling down with your laptop and a hot drink while snuggled in bed may seem tempting. The con side of this, however, is that your laptop can overheat.
3) You can wake up and go!
Forget the commute, in fact, forget even getting dressed. When you work from your bed you can literally open your eyes and get going. This can boost your productivity as you’re not wasting or using up any time doing other things. Of course, there is a con to this. The con is that you may spend too much time in front of your laptop. Or, you might not benefit from that crucial waking up period that properly prepares you for the day.
Cons
1) Poor posture
When you lay on a bed of cushions with a laptop on your lap, your spine is curving forward. For short periods, this is ok. However, after a long time, you will likely start to get extreme back pain. You might notice ‘niggles’ like a sore neck or lower back twangs. Over time, you might notice more chronic pain that stops you from sleeping.
2) Work / Life Balance Issues
The great thing about working from an office is that it is entirely separate to your home, which means psychologically you disconnect from the office once you leave the front door. When your bed becomes your office, you might find you’re thinking about work even when you’re not working. This can cause insomnia and stress. Your bed needs to be associated with rest and sleep - not work and meetings. Therefore, it is better to leave your laptop in a place that is separate to your bed.
3) No wrist support
Unless your laptop has built in wrist support, your wrists are going to be trapped in a very unsafe position while you’re typing. Prolonged lack of wrist support could lead to a repetitive strain injury, making your wrists painful and feeling fragile. You may even find that, over time, typing becomes more difficult. In some extreme cases, you may need to see a physical therapist.
4) No storage
Where are you going to put your paperwork or your pens if you are working from your bed? You simply cannot safely store your paperwork or files when working in this way. You need a filing system and at least a drawer or desk organiser to help you remain professional and efficient.
The Bottom Line
Working from your bed might be tempting, and of course, at first, a total novelty. But if you are planning to work from home regularly, we recommend you set up your own office space. We can help you do that with our fantastic ergonomic products.
Having a desk is important. It helps you to sit upright and avoid postural issues. We offer a number of desks that can fit nicely into smaller apartments or even the side of your kitchen. We also offer a number of ergonomic chairs to help you sit comfortably and safely during your working day. In fact, our chairs are so comfortable, we argue that you’d be happier sitting in one than you would be in your bed! As for wrist support, we can give you a keyboard tray with a wrist mat to help prevent any repetitive strain. Finally, we can offer you storage solutions for your home that will keep your confidential paperwork and files safe. You won’t have to worry about losing important documents this way.
We have your back. If you would like to speak to one of our friendly team, we are here. Just give us a call on +44 204 5187 138 or use our LiveChat feature.
