Working from Home

With the increase of remote working and working from home practices, it is important to make sure your home office or workspace is set up correctly to ensure comfort. Sit stand desks encourage good posture which in turn promotes productivity throughout the working day. We can offer you advice on how to set up your home office and workspace and suggest suitable office furniture and accessories to make your day as comfortable as possible.

Below we have put together some tips that you may find useful for homeworking practices.

Decide on a suitable workspace area and build a dedicated workspace - It’s important to consider exactly where you will be working within the house. You may have a spare room that you have already converted into an office or an office desk in the kitchen or lounge. To work efficiently it’s important to establish boundaries if there are family members within your household. This may include closing doors or even investing in a lock for the door to prevent interruptions during video conferencing or phone calls. If you haven't seen the video of Prof Robert Kelly trying desperately hold it together during an interview, whilst his children make an unannounced appearance, have a look at Ellen dissecting it below.

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Wherever you decide to work from it is important to make sure your workspace is quiet and secure, so that you can focus on the task in hand!

When working from home you should try and keep as close to your daily work schedule as possible - It’s important that you stay motivated throughout the day so be aware of any distractions which may interrupt your motivation. A great way to begin each morning is to set your height adjustable workstation at standing height and make a to do list or create an online workflow list of everything that needs to be done. If you don’t have a sit stand desk, try adjusting your office chair so that your back is straight and your lower arms are positioned at 90 degrees to your shoulders. Your hands should be positioned as an extension of your keyboard. Now you are ready for the day and can prioritise the tasks on the to do list. You will almost certainly feel better once you complete and tick off each task. It’s important to maintain these routines as you may develop habits which will be hard to break once you start working from the office again.

Exercise - We are all aware of the benefits of exercising and fresh air – it helps you regain focus, undo mental blocks and stop you from feeling sluggish. Where possible, swap your daily commute time for some outdoor garden activities.

Engage with colleagues - When working from home you are likely to be working alone which means you could spend long periods of time not speaking with anyone which could feel isolating. Try and make some time to pick up the phone for conversation, rather than social media messaging or emails.

Our final tip - Take regular breaks. It’s important to have a routine when working from home but that doesn’t mean work should become monotonous. Try to take regular breaks from the screen so as not to be seated in the same position for too long. It’s likely your normal working environment allows for more ergonomic adjustments throughout the day, such as ergonomic office seating and monitor arms. However, your home office furniture may not be as flexible so counter-act this by standing up, stretching and moving around at regular intervals during your working day.