Top Tips On How To Design An Ergonomic Home Office That Can Boost Your Daily Working Productivity

by Jeff Nien on September 18, 2020

The growth of telecommuting in the world workforce suggests that more and more people will be working from home in the future.

Who wouldn’t want to enjoy the comfort your home while doing all the physical and mental works to accomplish your daily goals?

With the fast advancement of technology and the booming online market, communication, and processes, it is clear that in no time, most people will prefer working remotely.

This was proven by New York Times article last year. They presented how the remote workforce had drastically increased and will continue to surge every year.

Why?

Simply because you’ll save two things; money and time!

No need to cram up in the morning to get to work as early as possible, less travel expenses and no annoying traffic. Plus you get to secure your house or check your family once in a while.

Telecommuting brought great convenience to the labor force.

However, let’s check on those people who are working from home, are they really enjoying a comfortable working zone?

Remember that one of the main drawbacks of working from home is that there’s NO boss, NO manager or HR staff who will check on your workstation, so it’s your sole responsibility to look after yourself to enjoy the top-notch level of comfort.

Most remote workers, just suit themselves working on the kitchen table, or slouching their back on a couch, or use the bed as both sleeping quarters and improvised office.

With almost 8 hours day staying in that setup, I’m sure your body will complain!

Back pain, muscle strains, and shoulder numbness are just waiting to strike until they are completely fed up with all the discomforts on your working place.

So let’s get started with your perfect home office set up. After this you’ll never have to worry about excruciating muscle pains anymore!

TIP #1: Give it Space!

First, you need to choose an area with plenty of space for your desk and chair to fit, as well as enough room for you to move comfortably. If you have the right area in your house, makes sure that you will do away with any discomforts as you maneuver while working.

Always consider the size of the desk that you’ll be using as well, make sure that it can hold all your go-to items without overextending or bending awkwardly which can hurt your backbones.

Remember that our goal here is to make you as comfortable as you can be!

Most of the times, high ceiling also do a great job of lifting the suffocating feeling, it creates a trick of making your space look wider and improves ventilation.

Choosing a good space is definitely an excellent start to improving your working experience!

TIP #2: Design & Inspire Yourself!

A good view motivates you to finish more task, thus, feeding your eyes with the good subject can help boost your productivity.

It’s nice to have a window in your working area so you can get the view of the outside on your short breaks or give it a glimpse while working. But if you only have wall and walls and walls, then, use your creativity to paint the room with colors that you want!

If you don’t know what color to use in your room, then here are fantastic shades with surprising effect on your productivity.

Blue

This color is for concentration; it is proven to have a very calming effect on people who are working which boost focus. Blue can also stimulate mental focus to increase work productivity.

Yellow/ Orange

These colors, suggest surging level of energy and happiness. Using this for your home office can boost your creative side. It will help you improve your creativity and think of new and innovative ideas.

Red

This color suggests a high level of energy, vibrant and helps people who are involved in physical activities. This absolutely increases the enthusiasm to move and improves body’s eagerness to work physically.

Apart from giving color to your working space, hanging paintings or family pictures can also inspire you to achieve your daily goals.

Be creative and make your office a place that inspires you to do more!

TIP #3: Get Good Lighting

Although, many suggest having plenty of light on your working table but it doesn’t have to be that way. Light is essential, but too much of it can hurt your eyes for squinting. So get the exact amount of light that won’t strain your eyes.

You can get a supplemental desk lamp, with an adjustable light setting so could adjust it to warm or cold lighting depending on your task and light need.

TIP#4: Learn the Best Ergonomics

The proper ergonomics will help you eliminate any strain of discomfort as you go through the physical and mental activities you have in a day.

First, Position your Screen.

Make it a point to position your screen to spot that you won’t do neck craning and overextending. To know the sweet spot, extend your hands on your desk, the tip of your middle finger should reach your monitor screen. That’s the exact distance that won’t strain your eyes, and you’ll do away with overextending your arms and neck as well.

Second, Invest in a Good Chair

Buying a high-quality chair is a must in your ergonomic office, it supports your back and gives you a good posture all day. It is essential to get a chair that provides excellent lumbar support.

Here are few options in the market.

Third, Check Keyboard & Mouse Placement

It is better to keep your mouse and keyboard centralized. This prevents you from reaching the traditional mouse. Keeping your mouse and keyboard parallel help in reducing repetitive injuries and muscle sprains.

The new trend in computer ergonomics are the roller bar mice. Roller bar ergonomic mouse is designed to help people that suffer shoulder or wrist pain during computer use as a result of repetitive actions and movement.

With quick access keys and soft wrist pad, you’ll never experience the pain that slows down your working progress.

Lastly, Stand Up and Move

Don’t sit for long hours, give your body a break from long and strenuous hours of sitting. Learn some ways to breathe out, like 10-minute yoga, meditations or just simply walking around to stretch your muscles a bit. These can help you cut off with your work for a while and re-energize yourself for loads of to-so waiting for you to finish plus it combats hundreds of health issues.

If you wish to know more about proper ergonomics, you can check out the Top 30 Ergonomics Blog Post! They got all the tips and techniques to help you boost your efficiency in your working space.

TIP #5: Make it Personal

This is one of the secret tips! Making it personal induces more motivation on our part. Putting things which inspire, motivate and make you happy on your working area releases stress and boost energy to keep you going all day.

Putting some souvenirs from your travels or your collections is like giving a part of you in your office, you can also make your personal painting and put some photos to help you remind of your goals.

You are now fully equipped with how to set-up your ergonomic home office. Get some time to plan out how you will execute all these tips.

Your health will surely thank you for it!