Working from home - The desk environment
If youare going to be working from home for more than a few days, it will pay to spend some time setting up a work space that doesn’t frustrate or create unnecessary aches and pains.
As blogged before, there are many articles that talk with more depth and more authority than I can about good posture or ergonomics (though I do think about these); but probably the single best advice that I have read is not to make the mistake of thinking that working on a laptop on a settee is good enough. It’s not, so don’t.
Don’t settee and work folks.
It’s not big or clever.
The laptop conundrum.
Many of us may think that a laptop is an automatic solution to working from home, but have a think for a moment if that’s true.
Compared to a desktop computer, a laptop will give you advantages of
Portability around the home
Ability to move the laptop from home to work
A small footprint to work in
Lower electric use
(sometimes) less noise
However a desktop computer has it’s own advantages including
More power / a faster computer (comparing equivalent money)
Much more flexibility and choice of peripherals
Ability to upgrade internal components easier
I will discuss the specifics of peripherals (keyboards, monitors etc) in later blogs; but whether you have a desktop or laptop computer, for any extended period of time your primary working position should have a larger screen. Adding a monitor is easy and not expensive.
Secondly, the same is just as true for keyboards and mice. A decent keyboard and mouse set can be bought for under £50, and even very cheap ones just for the next month or two will reduce arm strain and increase your productivity.
If you don’t have the space on your desk area for a monitor, laptop, keyboard and mouse then connect everything to the laptop and then fold the laptop away – just make sure you change the sleep settings so that it doesn’t power off when you close the lid.
And finally try to make sure you just have enough space, at least to move the mouse around, and maybe for that bottle of water or desk toy that will give you comfort in those stressful times.
A cute stress-relieving toy