Home Office: How to improve your workspace?

Since two years ago the way of working for many of us changed, we stopped going to an office and we had to set up spaces in our homes to perform our work. Each person who works from home faces different challenges, that is why below I will mention some elements that can improve the place and environment in which we develop our tasks in our home office.

Environment

To work in addition to assigning a space, the ideal is to create an environment that predisposes us in a positive way to start the day. For this we can use plants that give life to the place, put Lo-fi music that can be heard either through speakers or headphones, and if we are in a place where the noise is constant, noise-canceling headphones can be our allies. In addition, LED lights can be placed behind the desk and / or monitor to give a dim light that can change color in different modes and speeds, even in some cases can be synchronized with the music. It is important to keep in mind that the idea is to create an atmosphere and not a distraction, because if the elements used generate the latter, we are causing an unwanted effect. It is a matter of testing what works for each person.

If you have the space you can create a beverage and snack station, for example you can have the necessary implements to make hot beverages such as coffee or tea, fruits, cookies and seeds. To complement a small table with one or two chairs can serve as a space to enjoy those snacks when you take a short break. Speaking of breaks, also take advantage of having a stretching garter, dumbbells or a hand grip strengthener. Lastly, don't forget to have a trash can, this will help you avoid having to leave the office, which can be distracting.

Finally, an essential oil diffuser allows us not only to enjoy a pleasant aroma, but we can also take advantage of the benefits they provide. If the temperature requires the use of a fan or fan and you have little space, instead of the traditional one that is used on the floor, you can opt for a ceiling one, there are even some that incorporate a lamp. And if you need to reach high shelves, do not forget to have a bench available, it is better if it is foldable, because it will take up very little space.

Desk

Within the space the protagonist is undoubtedly our desk or flat surface where many of us place the computer, either desktop or laptop, the latter can be placed in the usual way, either alone or in the company of one or more monitors, as well as a keyboard and mouse or trackpad. This area lends itself to be adapted in different ways, for example, if we do not need to work with the laptop open, since we have a sufficiently large monitor, we can opt for a vertical laptop stand, which considerably reduces the space used compared to keeping it in a horizontal position.

If you apply the above you will definitely need a keyboard and monitor, the recommendation that many people know is that these are ergonomic. If they are not ergonomic, you may also use a mouse pad with a gel wrist support and perhaps a gel bar to support the wrists on the keyboard, if this is the case, these pads end up breaking with use. An alternative to the keyboard pad and support is the use of a mat that provides a surface not only for easy mouse use, but also functions to hold the keyboard in place. Some mats have an area for storing documents. To add extra comfort when using the keyboard, you can purchase a sliding wrist rest.

Besides the computer, at the desk we also take notes and if the light does not hit the desk surface directly, we can help ourselves with a lamp, but if in addition to that the brightness of the monitor bothers us, then a monitor light or lamp would solve both problems and save us space, these can be adjusted in intensity and color (from cool to warm) and there are for flat and curved monitors.

And while we're on the subject of the monitor, if you have the space and budget for a large, curved monitor, it can enhance the experience of working with multiple windows. For added flexibility we can rely on an arm, which mounts easily on many desks. The arm will also free up surface space, which can be occupied by a shelf with or without drawers on which we can place essentials such as pens, pencils, sticky notes, notebooks and other typical office items.

Other items that can be useful on the desk are: a cell phone holder, a box to organize cables, a vertical organizer for notebooks and agendas, to keep them close at hand.

Shared Space

To cover the scenario where the desktop is shared between several people who use it at different times, or the case where you have a computer for work and another personal, a switch allows you to share between two peripheral computers that are connected via usb, in the case of the monitor this can be connected to the switch with an adapter or if the monitor has more than one port it has the option to select which port is active.

Another aspect to consider is the versatility provided by a standing desk, a height-adjustable desk, which was initially intended to alternate between working sitting and standing, but also when shared allows it to adapt to the height of the person to work with a proper posture. It can be supplemented with footrests that allow you to place your legs at a right angle.

Other elements

For video calls it is common to use a headset, for this you can opt for a base to place them on the desk or you can opt for a hook that is placed under it. If you have devices without bluetooth and want to transmit audio that way, there are adapters on the market that work as transmitters and receivers. Also if you do not have enough usb ports you can opt for a hub or a dock, the latter offers more options than just increasing the number of ports.

You may need to store papers and other materials, in addition to a printer, for this you can opt for a drawer made of a material that supports enough weight to keep it firm and that is not too high. You can place the printer on the surface of the drawer. And speaking of printers, one with bluetooth connection facilitates its use, as it does not require having the computer nearby and you can also print from your cell phone or tablet. On the other hand, depending on what you have to organize, a narrow cart can be very useful for small things. An acrylic or cork board, or both, if you need to write down something you shouldn't forget or to get organized in some way. A calendar is also useful, there are even calendars in different formats, for different needs.

Finally, do not forget personal items, such as a bottle of water, if it is difficult to keep track of how much you have drunk, there are some with markings that indicate the milliliters consumed. Also have blue light blocking glasses and eye drops, lip balm and moisturizer for your hands.

All of the above are ideas, you don't need to apply all of them at the same time to make your home office better, you may not even have one, but some of the suggestions may be useful. Remember that it is not the things that make you a good worker, they can be a help, but they do not determine your professionalism and ability to do a good job. Also, if you have an item that fulfills the function of one of the items mentioned above, you don't need to buy everything new.

Cristina Valverde

Software Engineer