Working from the comfort of your home can be an exciting change for full-time office workers who would be looking forward to not having to get ready for work early in the morning, not having to face the rush hour traffic, and possibly not even having to get out of bed to start working. However, for experienced digital nomads, working from home has its own set of problems, and setting up a proper home office for a healthy lifestyle is critical.
A large number of home-based digital workers are faced with back pain, eye strain, and nerve pain problems. These all stem from bad posture, endless hours of sitting in a chair, and a poorly designed workspace. Working from home should be healthy, productive, and sustainable. These are some of the most important considerations to keep in mind if you are designing a work area at home.
Most people undermine the importance of this aspect of their workspace and when they are at home they are comfortable working from any sofa, dining table, or even from bed. Lower back pain, shoulder pain, numbness or stiffness, and even bad blood circulation is a direct result of a poorly designed chair. It doesn't become apparent right away, but because we spend hundreds of hours a year in a chair, the form and shape of the chair massively impact's our posture and structural integrity. The chair you choose should be comfortable, it should help you maintain good posture and it should be at the right height for your table so as to keep your lower body and upper body balanced.
If you can set up your office in a part of your home which has plenty of light, that is the best setup to have. However, if you prefer to work at night or natural light is limited through you should consider having a good bias lighting setup to balance out the strain caused by the monitor. Eye strain can cause many other problems such as permanent headaches, visual impairment, and damage to motor control. Lighting is a relatively cheap modification to make and good bulbs and lights are an investment that can last a long time.
We often take vacations to scenic places, looking for natural environments away from the busy city life. Even a morning walk along the beach or through a nice park can be very refreshing, partly due to the physical effects of a fresh open environment and partly because of the psychological effects that the natural environment has on us. Maintaining a few indoor plants is very easy and offers a number of benefits. Having some colorful plants in your home office will add to the color of the space and also benefit its’ energy.
Some people prefer the messy setup they have, and to them, it's organized. However, studies have shown that a cluttered workspace negatively impacts both work quality and mental well-being. Simple steps such as a pen cup, a small bookshelf, a trash can, and some drawers to help manage the space and create some positive energy. Keeping your space tidy is a great little endorphin pump that you can enjoy every day.
Working at home is not only a change for your body but also your mind. The home office should be designed to cater to the well-being of both body and mind. Simple steps are all you need to create a good work environment and as you settle in and get used to it you can keep making changes to continuously improve your home office.