The Most Productive Ways To Work From Home

The Most Productive Ways To Work From Home

A few years ago, the letters WFH wouldn’t have meant much to most of us, but now almost half of us do it every week. It’s easy to see why; you don’t have to commute - meaning you don’t have to get up quite so early and you save money -, you get a better work-life balance (if you’re doing it right), and you don’t have the disturbances of the hustle and bustle of the office. So, how can you make working from home work for you? Whether you call it a home office, a study, or a corner of your bedroom, your workspace needs to be practical and productive. So, let’s take a look at the best desk set-ups that are easy to achieve with the right furniture and knowhow.

Covid had more of us working from home in 2020

This chart shows that over 50% of people work from home in 2023

First of all, it’s important to have a designated workspace, otherwise a good work-life balance can be hard to attain. Working from the bed or sofa can either make it more difficult to focus when you need to or tough to switch off when the working day is done. Even if your home is small, try to find a designated space which you always use for remote working, be it a slot under the stairs or a different seat at the dining table.

Once you’ve found this space, make sure it’s tidy. This may seem like an obvious thing to say, but, when lives get busy, tidying a workspace often gets overlooked. Having an untidy desk not only means you spend longer looking for essential office items, but also that your mind becomes just as cluttered as your space. It’s one thing to get rid of things once you’re done with them (always a good idea anywhere), but permanent fixtures like computer wires are major culprits when it comes to making a desk look messy. Try bunching them together with cable ties, simply tuck them to the side, or reduce the number of wires on your desk by opting for wireless computer accessories where possible.

Even in the smallest of spaces, you can create an 'office'

Toledo Desk

Too many wires can make everything look messy

A key to keeping your desk neat is using alternative storage options; if letters and documents aren’t ready to be thrown away yet but aren’t being used right at that instant, try a filing cabinet. This way, you can keep your files organised without needing to be reminded of their presence when you’re working on something else. For those with smaller spaces, wall shelves are a good way of storing affects, as well as providing a neutral but interesting backdrop for video calls. Another way of increasing your productivity at home is bringing the outdoors in, so why not add a plant to these shelves to reduce your chances of attention fatigue?

Adelaide 2 Drawer Filing Cabinet

The only way this can all work is if you have the right chair. Having the wrong chair can lead to bad posture, which, in turn, is known to cause many different health problems. It is for this reason that there are so many factors to take into consideration when choosing a chair. For example, it is important that your desk chair has an adjustable height so you can get it to the perfect height for you, which typically sits between 40 and 60cm off the ground but could vary further according to your preferences. Generally, this should mean that, if you are using a computer, the top of the screen should be at eye level and around 50cm away from you, while your desk should be at elbow height and your keyboard should rest near the edge of the desk, leaving just enough space to rest your hands in between. Moreover, you should be able to comfortably sit 8cm away from the back of your seat and have your feet flat on the floor for optimum posture, while all points of the chair should avoid digging in at any point on your body, which will determine whether you need a high or low back chair.