Everything You Need to Set Up an Ergonomic Home Office

Working from home has become the norm recently, with COVID-19 sending whole countries into lockdown. For many, it has come with considerable benefits. You now have the freedom to set up a completely ergonomic home office, which will support your health for years to come.

As more and more research emerges about the negative impact of staying seated all day, workers are becoming increasingly committed to promoting their spinal and overall health. Now that we know better, it’s important to do better, which is why an ergonomic home office is the perfect solution.

What Is Ergonomic?

It’s a word that has been thrown about in recent years, but is still not fully understood by most people. Simply put, when referring to the home office space, it’s about fitting the set-up to the person. There are many benefits that come with a ergonomic home office, such as:

• Less muscle fatigue

• Increase in productivity

• Reduced risk of diabetes

• Less risk of heart disease

• Reduced muscle strains

• Prevention of back injuries

When we work from home, it’s tempting to lounge on the couch or stay under the covers in our bed, balancing our laptop on our laps. However, doing this for the long run will lead to musculoskeletal issues. An ergonomic desk and office chair can prevent these problems. 

Ergonomic Office Chair

Let’s take a look at your seating arrangement to begin with. Ideally, you should maintain the following position while working:

• Your feet need to be flat on the floor with your knees at a 90-degree angle.

• If you choose to have armrests, they need to be used correctly. Your arms should be supported at 90 degrees and your forearms should be parallel to the floor. Your forearms should never rest on the armrest while you’re typing.

• Your back should be completely flush against the backrest of the chair, with your entire body sitting back fully. This will encourage your entire body to be stacked, with your shoulders over your hips and your head over your shoulders.

One of the best investments you can make is into an ergonomic office chair. You want to find one with adjustable settings that allow you to find the best support for your body shape and style. Here are some of the features you should be on the lookout for:

1. Adjustable seat height, so your feet can be on the floor

2. Adjustable seat tilt, to put your pelvis in the optimal position and take the pressure off your lower back

3. Seat width and depth that provides enough space for you to sit flush against the backrest with about two to three inches between your knees and the chair

4. Adjustable lumbar support to achieve the into the optimum position against your lower back for comfort and stability

5. Adjustable armrests

Ultimately, it all comes down to positioning. Your feet must reach the floor, and your armrests should support your arms at the optimum height with your elbows bent at 90 degrees. Your lower back should be right up against the back of the chair, fitting comfortably against the lumbar support. Your computer should be at arm's-length, with your eyes in line with the top of the screen. Finally, you want to make sure your shoulders, neck and head are all stacked.

All of these steps can be achieved with the Biomorph ergonomic office chair, which come in a range of designs so you can find the best fit for your needs. 

Ergonomic Standing Desk 

While a supportive chair is critical to your health, sitting for long periods of time isn’t ideal for you. For this reason, it’s essential to pair your ergonomic chair with an ergonomic standing desk. Here’s how to get the most out of your set up:

• Stand correctly: Have your feet hip-width apart, with your hips stacked directly above them. Make sure your weight is being distributed evenly.

• Wear supportive shoes: If you’re going to be standing in them all day, make sure your shoes are as comfortable and supportive as possible.

• If you’re experiencing any pain, readjust: Listen to your body to determine what’s not working in your current set up.

• Check your posture: You don’t want to be hunched over your monitor, or find yourself leaning on your desk throughout the day. It can help to switch between standing and sitting in your ergonomic chair. This will allow you to maintain strong posture for the entire day, even as your body tires.

Getting the right set up for your home office will have many ongoing health benefits. Plus, you can move easily between sitting and standing for ongoing comfort, which could even help you increase your productivity throughout the day as a result.

Tips to setup a Perfect home office for 2021

There are many advantages of working from home. It might a new concept in the new normal phase globally but millions of people already working from home for years. They either have created a home office in a corner of the house or just sit anywhere with no fixed place to work. It’s time to rethink this matter. If your home is your office, you must have a room or at least a dedicated space for undisturbed working hours. 

Important tips to set up a perfect home office 

Here are a few important tips that you should follow to set up a perfect home office: 

• The location should be the primary concern 

An empty room, no matter where it is, could be an ideal place for a home office. The only thing you need to see that you can work there undisturbed. For many people, having an empty room is a lavish thought. No worries, if this seems absurd, find a corner or a space that no one in the home is going to occupy or raise an objection. Once you fix it, announce that you are using the space for your office purpose. 

• Select right desk and chair for the office 

As space is fixed, you now need a table and chair. There is no dearth of designs in this domain. Buy a set that suits your office, your work, and your space. A multipurpose table having sufficient storage place for documents and stationery along with space for arranging the computer can be a good idea. If you don’t work with documents but the computer is too important for the job, you can think of a state-of-the-art computer desk as a monitor standing desk. You might need an ergonomically designed monitor arm and a chair. Keep in mind, compromising your health means poor performance in the later period. 

• Shelve and storage space 

Don’t overlook or take this matter lightly while designing your home office. As your business grows, office articles especially files, stationeries, CDs, and various other electronic accessories may rise in number. If your work is related to clients whom you need to meet physically, shelves and storage space will be a primary necessity. Moreover, the shelves and storage should be arranged in a nearby space that you could access easily. 

• Natural light and air 

Sufficient lighting is imperative for any home office. Having a place with sufficient natural light and air will be perfect for a home office. In this way, you could reduce the electricity bill as well. Position your desk facing the window so that you get sufficient light and a good natural view. A translucent window and blinds could be installed to enhancing the overall appearance of the office. Apart from natural lighting, use sufficient ceiling lights and if needed a desk light for extra lighting in the evening. 

If the window is not available or natural light is not accessible, no problem. Pinup some nice artworks and calendars on the vacant walls. Use soothing color on the walls. If you like quotations, pin up a motivational quite in front of the table. 

• Take special care for wiring and cables 

Computer cables take lots of space so also electrical wiring. If this is left open, your office will look cluttered. You will also face space problems especially with the cables under your table. So organize wiring and cable with the help of technicians. Better if these are not visible from outside. These days several wireless accessories are available like wireless keyboards and mouse. Take this matter seriously. 

The home office arrangement you use must be comfortable to sit for hours and work efficiently. Having your own space for an office should be your primary target in 2021. 

Designing the Perfect Office Recreation Space

Offices are expected to have recreational spaces for their employees to unwind, communicate, and improve their work relationships. These recreational spaces play a key role in preventing burnout and maintaining a collaborative work culture. 

In fact, having a perfect office recreation space could be why large organizations like Google remain at the top of their game. Fun office spaces keep staff members motivated to deliver high performance. They also help to promote collaboration and productivity in the workplace. 

Placing an emphasis on recreational space in the office can be tricky, however. A poorly designed area may not deliver employee contentment and productivity, which could translate to wasted resources. So how do you make sure that you create a recreation space that fits the needs of a workplace?

1. Encourage Conversations

One of the goals of a recreational area is to give staff members the opportunity to get to know their colleagues better. Through socialization, workers can feel more comfortable working with other members of the team on collaborative projects. Arranging furniture and positioning seating areas properly are key to creating a conducive space for employees to socialize. 

You can incorporate a food and beverage area where people can get coffee and juice or treats like granola bars and chips. Adding a coffee table nearby can give you a functional social space where colleagues can chat. You can arrange a sofa as well as bean bags, and armchairs around the table so people can sit down while having coffee or eating a snack. Or it could just be a place where people can pass the time while they’re away from their workstations. 

Spaces that encourage conversations should be flexible. This is why stools and bean bags that can be easily moved to create informal meeting areas are commonly used in recreational facilities.

2. Stimulate Creativity

Top organizations put a premium on creativity, so it’s natural for most companies to encourage employees to get their creative juices flowing. Ergonomic furniture, bright colors, and smart designs can all stimulate creativity. 

If your client has a theme in mind, choose furniture that brings this theme out. Paint the walls with bright colors to make it pop and catch attention. Attractive art prints or even artisan rugs can be a talking point among colleagues and make your space conducive to brainstorming. For example, Cyrus Artisan Rugs at MN offers a wide range of rug types and styles that can breathe new life into a dull space.

3. Provide a Quiet Space

Recreational spaces are, of course, designed to allow staff members to take their mind off work. This helps them relax a bit so they can return to their tasks in the right headspace. As such, there must be areas in the office that are dedicated to this specific purpose.

Dark furniture and muted tones can be used for small, quiet nooks. This can give introverts a private space where they can gather their thoughts and finish their work independently. Hammocks and daybeds can also be used for areas where staff members can take a quick nap to recharge.

4.Offer Various Activities

Most of us are familiar with fun spaces in the office that include a pingpong table, video games, and even a jukebox. However, the activities that can be done in a recreational facility should depend on the preferences of those who are going to use them.

You can ask the management to hold a short survey about what activities that people on the team are interested in. This will determine the kinds of board games, video game consoles, and other recreational equipment that are going to be in the rec room.

Additionally, you can add a play zone where staff members can be competitive and loud. This should be separated from the quiet nooks but can be near other functional areas like the food and beverage station to encourage more bonding moments.

5. Incorporate Biophilic Design

The point of having a recreational space in an office is for employee productivity and wellness. So it should not come as a surprise that natural elements should be part of its design. When people feel connected with nature, they are more likely to feel calm and well. This results in increased productivity and low turnover rates. 

Companies like Plant Solutions can help you design a recreational space with biophilic principles in mind. This will help you decide on a focal point in your area and choose furniture that complements natural elements well.

The key to designing the perfect recreational space is taking into account every employee's needs in the workplace. It’s best to remember that while some people like to chat and eat with colleagues, some may want to have some peace and quiet. Others need to unwind through food and video games, while some may want to see some natural elements in their vicinity. 

So when creating an office rec space, strive for balance. Keep in mind the company's overall goals — to promote creativity, collaboration, and wellness — and the needs of their teams. It’s just a matter of focusing on your goals and being meticulous during the design process. Pay attention even to the smallest of details, such as the kinds of art prints, plants, and artisan rugs you’re going to use.

6 Steps to the Perfect Home Workspace Organization

For most people, the central place of their home is the living room. It is the place where all the family gathers after having spent all day apart. However, this isn’t the case with remote employees. For them, the hub of their home is their home office. In this room, specially designated for work purposes, they keep all their data, attend video conferences, and communicate with clients and the management. To stay on top of things at work, they have to work in an organized workspace. Otherwise, they might experience low efficiency. If you are looking for ways to organize your home workspace perfectly, here are some steps to follow. 

Keep it clean and tidy

If you want to have an organized workspace, you should keep it clean and tidy. The best place to start with is your desk. Your work desk occupies the central place of your home office. Also, it is the place where you spend the largest part of your workday. If you can’t see your desk underneath all of the files and post-it notes, then you should definitely spend some time decluttering. While you are doing this, think about every item that was on your desk. How often do you need those office supplies and files? If you don’t need them every day, put them aside, let’s say, on a shelf or in the drawer. This way, your desk will be more organized and every item in the home office will have its place. 

Move personal things

Although home offices are a part of your house or apartment, they should still be used only as a workspace. For that reason, as much as you are tempted, or think personal things might be motivating, you should keep them in some other room. Framed pictures of your family shouldn’t stand at your desk or on the shelves. If you want, you can hang that photo on the wall where it occupies less space. Stuff like magazines or souvenirs also doesn’t belong on your work desk. What you can keep are plants, but make sure to keep them on the windowsills, so you have more space for work-related items. 

Invest in digital storage 

Since the world has gone digital, you should make use of highly advanced tools to stay organized. Instead of printing out all of your files, you should store them in the cloud. This way you will get rid of unnecessary piles of paper while still keeping all of your files stored digitally. In case you are using some sort of an employee app for work, you can use it as a storage unit too. All the files you exchange with your coworkers are saved, so you can access them whenever you feel the need to. More importantly, make sure to back up all your files. This way, in case of a data breach or malicious software, all your files will be safe. 

Throw away unnecessary items 

At the end of the workday, what most of us only want to do is unplug and relax. That is why most remote workers forget to declutter and throw away unnecessary items. As a result, their workplace is unorganized. Old newspapers, broken office supplies, pens that have run out of ink take too much space in the home office and serve no purpose. That is why you should throw them away and replace them with new and functional ones. As far as official documents are concerned, you should keep them if you aren’t sure whether or not you might need them in the future. But if you do, then keep them filed neatly. 

Keep a clear message board

Chances are your home office contains a message board or a bulletin. They are great for keeping employees up to date with events. However, more often than not, they are a complete disaster because no one takes the time to declutter them at the end of the day. Decluttering  isn’t just about erasing messages on the board. It helps you organize your workspace and become more productive. That is why you should take a few minutes at the end of the workday and take off old messages and post-it notes, to make room for new ones. You will quickly realize how efficient you become with this simple trick. 

Hang a wall calendar

For better performance at work, you have to manage your time and tasks well. One simple yet effective trick can help you control your time better and keep all objectives in sight. All you have to do is hang a calendar on your wall. Furthermore, you can customize it, so it serves as a decoration too. Having a calendar on your wall will remind you to complete due projects, don’t miss out on a meeting with a client, and don't forget your mom’s birthday or wedding anniversary. 

On the whole, keeping your workspace organized and neat isn’t hard. It just takes some time and effort. With our tips, you will spend your days in an organized and tidy workspace.