TIPS FOR A HEALTHY HOME OFFICE YOU CAN THRIVE IN
Has working from home been a hot mess for you?
While working from home is not a new phenomenon, working more efficiently in a productive home office environment is on everyone's mind. Amid the current stressful state of affairs, we are all craving calmness, comfort, and inspiration to lift our spirits and motivate us to get through the day. With the right set-up, our physical space can feed that appetite and fuel a more productive workday.
Working in an office space that doesn't foster your health and well-being, is like trying to get a good night’s sleep on your driveway using your cat for a pillow. How well do you think you’d feel and function the next day? Not good! You spend the same amount of time (or more) at your desk working as you do sleeping, so it's equally as important to invest in a good office set-up as it is in a good sleeping set-up. Your workspace is much more than just a place to sit with your computer or to perform a task. “A well-designed workspace participates in performing the task, enabling optimal human performance—cognitively, emotionally, and physically.” - Haworth ‘Work from Anywhere’ research paper
Source: Haworth
Are you working in a dining room converted into an office where you have to move to the bedroom to hide from the kids for a video conference call, or suffering from back pain due to lack of ergonomics, or feeling fatigued or depressed throughout the workday? If so, it’s time for a little self-care with a home office makeover - whether it’s a dedicated niche in your apartment or an existing study that needs some love. In this blog post, I will share some of my top tips for curating an efficient workspace to help you thrive, not just survive!
Bio-feel-ya
Humans have an inherent bond to nature. Therefore, we crave a connection to the outdoors and thrive when we nurture that connection. This is one of the many reasons we escape to the outdoors to recharge and spend our vacations at beautiful outdoor destinations.
For months, we have been stuck in our homes, and many of us are recognizing the impact that being indoors for extended amounts of time has on our physical and mental health. Incorporating nature and sensory features (biophilic design elements) into your office can positively transform your well-being. When working with my clients, I love incorporating nature whenever I can. According to the International WELL Building Institute, science has proven that nature enhances mood and reduces anxiety. It can also enhance creativity and productivity, and increase concentration.
Photo credit: DWR
A few things I recommend you add to your office space include:
Make sure there is a window to the outdoors within view.
Natural materials such as wood, wicker, bamboo, rattan, and stone.
Warm tones with pops of color. Some colors you might consider are taupe, cream, tans and shades of gray with pops of warm rosey colors, blues or greens.
Patterns found in the outdoors (this can be done with rugs, art and wallcovering with patterns or textures inspired by nature).
And of course, incorporating plants into the design is a great way to boost the mood.
While some office productivity trends like treadmill desks and nap pods aren’t as popular anymore, it looks like natural light may be here to stay. A research poll of 1,614 North American employees by the HR Advisory firm, Future Workplace, found that access to natural light and outdoor views is the number one attribute of the workplace environment. In fact, these perks outranked on-site cafeterias, fitness centers, and premium perks, including on-site childcare!
More Ergonomics, Less Chronic Pain
Ergonomics are essential to avoiding pain and injury. This requires ergonomic practices and using the right office equipment. First, invest in a good, ergonomic desk chair. This may seem expensive, but it beats the hell out of all the chiropractor and massage bills! A few fantastic ergonomic desk chairs I’ve had success with are this one, this one, and this one. And one of my favorites aesthetically is These are great for anyone looking for all-day comfort. Elbows and knees at 90 degrees, people!
Avoid neck strain by ensuring your monitor is at eye level. You can get a monitor arm which attaches to the desk (also a great space saver). Or, if you want to save money, just stack some books below your monitor to elevate it to the right height which is eye level. Other ergonomic tools that you might find helpful include a footrest, keyboard tray, laptop holder, and sit-to-stand desk (next section).
Slim Shady Says it Best, “Please Stand Up!”
Sitting is the new smoking — it is literally killing you to sit for long hours at a time. Moving your body throughout the day is good for overall health. Sit-to-stand desks can help you increase physical activity while you work, which can help you be more productive. There are many options for desks that allow you to both sit and stand. A few favorites are this one, this one, and this one.
Photo credit & artisan made sit-to-stand desk: Uhuru Design
There are also converters that sit on your desktop if you prefer not to purchase a new desk, like these.
Photo credit and great resource for a sit-to-stand desk or standing desk converter: fully
Light Done Right
The home and office environments we live in typically give a constant state of twilight because of indoor artificial lighting. This type of lighting disrupts our natural circadian rhythm, as it’s too dim for daylight, too bright for night, and doesn't shift from cool to warm as the day progresses. Work environments filled with artificial lights aren’t healthy and can hinder productivity.
Access to natural daylight is ideal. Exposure to daylight in the office environment improves concentration, mood, and performance. It controls our biological clock, driving hormone production to keep us awake during the day and can entice us to sleep as the night falls. To reap the benefits of natural lighting, make sure your office is located in a room with a window. Pull back the curtains or blinds and let the light shine in! You’ll also want to avoid sitting with the window behind you as this can cause eye strain due to glare on your computer.
Whenever you can, reduce overhead lighting by using fewer light bulbs or fluorescent tubes. We rely on artificial lighting for many different tasks, which is why layering a variety of lighting is ideal when setting up your office. I encourage my clients to diversify spaces with task, ambient, and accent lighting. Adjustable task lights are a great tool to focus the light where you need it. Here is one of my favorites. Incorporating various lighting gives you more flexibility to adjust the lighting throughout the day as needed. Another bonus of layering light in a space is that a variety of lighting also brings the space to life, stimulating points of interest, and fostering a healthy sensory experience.
Photo credit: behance.net
Typically lighting has always been set to a fixed intensity and color, which is not a natural condition for humans to live in! An innovative solution to this problem is the use of circadian lighting which is based on the science of circadian rhythm. It’s designed to mimic the daily color temperature cycle of natural sunlight to keep us awake in the daytime and allow us to wind down in the evening. In the morning, the light starts out with a warmer glow that slowly changes to a cooler light temperature throughout the afternoon, then it begins transitioning back to a warm color as the evening transpires. Circadian lighting has been proven to help improve health and productivity. The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) implemented a circadian lighting system in one of their offices and found 25 percent of employees had a better night’s sleep!
Circadian lighting is the idea of using light to mimic natural circadian rhythm. Source: JHA. Photo source unknown.
Soak up the Sounds
Acoustics and sounds play an important role in creating a sustainable and healthy work environment. Finding a balance is ideal because loud spaces can hinder your concentration, and low-level background noise can raise stress hormone levels. Softening your home with absorbent materials is a great way to help reduce the vibration of sound throughout. For example, adding rugs to rooms nearby rooms that might be noisy will help reduce noise transfer. Carpet can prevent movement of sound across the floor because it can act similar to a sponge for ambient sound.
If you feel your room is too quiet, add a white noise machine to help you stay in the zone. These machines can also help you de-stress, stay calm, and boost productivity.
Photo credit: ergonofis
More Clutter, More Problems.
Marie Kondo says it best, "Effective tidying involves only three essential actions. All you need to do is take the time to examine every item you own, decide whether or not you want to keep it, then choose where to put what you keep. Designate a place for each thing." It's no secret, physical clutter contributes to mental clutter and can heighten stress.
While organization and cleanliness levels vary from person to person, we can all agree that an organized home office sets the tone for a productive work environment. Cluttered rooms can also affect our mood, making us more irritable due to the mental clutter that it causes. You can add shelving with cabinet doors or drawers to get all the junk off the desktop or off the floor. Find some baskets and trays to organize open shelves. Desk accessories are another great way to keep everything on your desk in order. If you want to kick the negative psychological impacts of clutter to the curb, make it a priority to keep your office space organized.
Photo credit: DWR
I hope you found this article helpful in helping you create a home office you can thrive in! If you are looking for more inspiration or want help developing your home office vision, let’s chat. Click here to start the conversation.