Home office - how to make your workspace more pleasant and productive

During this period, everyone who can is working from home. It is the best way to protect ourselves and our loved ones. The workplace has become the home office and it needs to be set up in such a way that it provides us with all the conditions we need to carry out our work in the best possible conditions. Working from home is not easy. We automatically associate "home" with rest, relaxation, watching movies, and it's hard to forget these temptations in order to concentrate on work. We need to create as comfortable and appropriate a space as possible so that we can concentrate on our work. And a suitable space means a desk that allows us to sit in the correct position, that does not tire us and give us back pain, enough light so as not to strain our eyes and that "separates" us from the rest of the activities in the house and the organization necessary for office work.

The right desk position

The correct position depends on the chair we sit in and the table or desk we work at. They should allow us to keep our backs as straight as possible and have the computer/laptop at the right distance from our eyes. If the distances are not right, we will have to adjust our posture and this will lead to back pain, numbness in the limbs and extra strain on the eyes.

What does it mean to sit comfortably in a chair? Here are the most important requirements:

• to sit and stand up without difficulty
• the soles of the feet should rest naturally on the floor, the knees should not be pushed upwards but at an angle of 90-100º.
• the seat should not be too deep so that the edge of the seat does not push the calf
• the seating should not be too narrow as it becomes unstable and creates a feeling of insecurity
• the backrest should be slightly inclined from vertical towards the back so as not to impose a rigid posture
• the height of the seat should be in line with the height of the table

As we can see, table height is also important. But we can't always adjust them so that we sit comfortably. The best solution for a study table is an adjustable one. This is also a very good solution for school children because the height can be adjusted as the child grows. You can find such an adjustable table on offer Home Accessories. It is an electrically driven table with a lifting speed of 38 mm/sec., but more technical data here.

Light is very important

The light in the room where you work comes from daylight or from luminaires. If it's a dark day or the windows are not large enough, we need artificial light to accompany the natural light in order to work comfortably.

It is best to have a light source as close as possible to where you are working. Light coming from the ceiling, even if it illuminates the whole space, may not be enough and strain our eyes when we work. That's why a desk lamp is very useful. To save energy, it's a good idea to use an LED. To give you an idea of how much you can save by using LED luminaires, a luminaire with light equivalent to a 60 W bulb consumes between 6 and 9 W.

One aspect that can influence mood and concentration is the color of light. There is yellow, also called warm light, white or neutral light and blue or cool light. Warm light is for relaxation spaces, for the bedroom or living room, where you need to relax. For a workspace, where concentration and productivity is needed, neutral or cool light is recommended.

If you're thinking of adding light to your workspace, find here a catalogue of LED luminaires.

A tidy desk helps increase concentration and productivity

It's hard to work in a space where everything is spread out, where there's nowhere to put your laptop, where cords and extension cords are strewn everywhere. To work in peace and quiet you need organizers to keep your documents in order, post-it notes to jot down ideas or emergencies, maybe a small magnetic or cork board to hold them, and plugs as handy as possible so you don't have to run wires all over the house.

While bookcases and tables are easy to buy, it's more difficult to install sockets. However, there are systems that make it much simpler to bring sockets and the internet as close as possible to where you work.  The Eubiq GSS System is aModern modular system that allows flexible design of power distribution (wiring and outlets) and data cabling in any space. It has been designed so that the base element, which incorporates the electrical wiring, can be easily integrated into skirting boards, panels, furniture, compartmentalization and cable management systems. Read more about the system, here.

Another option to get rid of wires are recessed sockets in your table or desk top. Indeed, it's not something you do every time, but it's not very difficult either. Sockets are discreet, they can also have a cover so they're hidden when not in use, and they can group power, internet and landline sources in one place. Find here a few models of such sockets.

After already one month in isolation we realized that it is not impossible to work from home. True, we really want to get out and go to the office, but we have found that it is possible to work from home one or two days a week. And if we're going to do that, we need a bright, tidy space, an ergonomic chair and desk to make it as pleasant as possible.