Personalize Your Life at Work at Home for Better Health
In this weekend’s assignment for our October reset, we’ll take a look at where you spend most of your day: your workplace. Health is not just what happens when you are away from your workplace; you deserve to maintain your wellbeing even when you are working.
In this installment, we’ll focus on small home workspace customizations, although your health matters no matter where or how you work. In many traditional workplaces, teaming up with work colleagues demanding a healthier work environment is one of the things you should be thinking about.
But for now, let’s take a look at your desk or study space at home.
Check your chair
First things first: Are you comfortable when you sit down to work? If you’re used to uncomfortable stools, treat yourself to a more suitable chair or take steps to make the one that works better for you. Adjusting seat depth, height and backrest support can go a long way, as our own Abu Zafar found out when he invited an ergonomics expert to inspect his workplace .
But if that’s not your style, the good news is that you don’t have to look for the perfect chair and perfect position. You can just move around during the day if that’s more convenient for you. What matters is how you feel comfortable, not how you feel. I sit in a wooden chair with an upholstered footstool and change my position every few minutes. This isn’t in any of the ergonomics guides, but it works for me.
Customize your positioning and peripherals
Is your keyboard too high? Is your screen too low? Are you having a hard time using the trackpad on your laptop for precise tasks? All this is fixable. It’s only fair to get a separate mouse or keyboard if it makes you more comfortable or helps you do your job, and you can put your laptop or monitor on a stand or even a stack of books.
Also remember that you can perform different tasks in different areas and optimize each one accordingly. For example, a cheap fold-out table with a stack of books on top is great for calling Zoom – just move it to whichever place in the house has the most beautiful background.
Break the monotony
Not so long ago, we shared some tips on how to exercise during work or during breaks . In addition to setting up a standing or moving table, you can set aside time and space for mini workouts and dress for the start of the day to make it easy (sweatpants + top that matches Zoom is a classic combo.)
Plan your meals
I do not mean that you need a stock of ready-made meals in the fridge (although that would be great). I wonder if you’ve thought about when, where and how you will eat during your workday?
If you’re always going to step away from your table for lunch but end up eating at your table anyway, there is probably room for improvement. Either figure out how you can keep your promise, or rethink your expectations – and be kind to yourself in that regard.
For example, you can keep napkins and a dish rack on the table so that you can eat these dishes neatly, and so that your plate has its own space, and not on already lying books and papers. Or maybe you are eating at your table because you are hungry in the middle of the deadline; if so, keep healthy snacks on hand to cheer you up until you can take a real break.
Clean up your damn table
Finally, one thing you were neglecting: just empty your desk already. If your table is somewhat similar to mine, then there are things that you put there on purpose, for example a dying spider, and there are things that have just accumulated. Earlier this year, I spent just 10 minutes cleaning my desk with the emotional support of my colleagues . The payback was incredible: the annual rubbish disappeared in the blink of an eye. But my desk looks like the before photo again, and I think I can … do it again? And maybe I will feel calmer when I look at him, instead of worrying about the mess and the papers that I printed out and with which I did nothing?
Your results may vary, but a clean table is good. You can even decorate your surroundings – hang a new picture, water this spider plant. While you are doing this, give yourself a routine to follow. You can clean up dirty dishes and unwanted papers at the end of each day, and take out the trash every week. I know big steps. But if you’re happier and maybe a little healthier, it’s worth it.