The current situation in which most of the population must remain locked in their homes is physically and psychologically harsh for obvious reasons. But quarantine can also be an opportunity to take care of ourselves and others, take care of our health, reconfigure ourselves as a society, and try new things. One of these horizons that open when having to remain cloistered and cloistered is the famous telework. Teleworking is an obligation and also a challenge.
But all is not lost, just like people, spaces can be changed, adapted, and reorganized according to our needs. So it is possible to turn our room, kitchen or living room into a great remote office. To do this, it is essential to have the right tools: a computer, a telephone, papers, and pens, among other things. Luckily we live in the era of technologies and we have never been so connected. The applications that allow you to make video calls and telematic meetings at no cost are great allies to coordinate with the rest of the work team or with the clientele.
Having ergonomic furniture is decisive for maintaining good physical and mental health
Once the requirement of having a minimum of tools and accessories is fulfilled, we can go into everything else. The first thing is to establish some routines even if our employer does not require it. This is good for our mental and physical health. The next thing is to clearly separate the spaces to improve concentration in working hours and get a real rest when we take breaks or end our day. If we work at the desk in our room, then we will change places to make a video call with friends; or if we make accounts at the kitchen table because it is spacious and comfortable, we can eat at the table in the living room to change the scene. And of course, the furniture is decisive. Having a good table but above all, a good chair will make a difference. In the end, we are going to spend many hours sitting and sitting in it. The more comfortable it is, the better we will do our job and the better our health will be in every way. If we don’t have a good chair because we never used it at all, we can think of buying a cheap office chair.
We will have already noticed that office furniture is different from that of homes, something that goes far beyond the aesthetic criteria. The office furniture, and that of our new home ready for teleworking, must be ergonomic. And what does this word that we hear so many times and so seldom put into practice really mean? The objective of ergonomics is none other than to adapt the work to the capacities and the possibilities of human beings. That is, adapt our furniture to our body and our activities. All the elements surrounding the work environment – wherever it may be – must meet this quality, or the consequences can be serious both for health and productivity, and mood. In these moments when emotions travel in a roller coaster car, and the future is uncertain, it is better to ensure the small details that we know will make us feel good.
Luckily, you don’t need to have great knowledge of ergonomics or construction to achieve this goal, as professionals have done it for us for years. The important thing is to be clear about what we are going to develop in each piece of furniture or in each space in order to be able to choose the correct one or adapt it properly.
Another aspect to value is lighting.
Good natural lighting greatly influences your mood and work. That is why it is best always to try to telework near a window or, failing that, to have good artificial lighting and a good screen to avoid damaging your eyesight. We must take breaks and look away from the screen from time to time to rest our eyes.
In addition, it is important to get up to stretch your legs from time to time. At home, we do not have breaks to go to coffee, go to smoke or move to talk on the phone, but we should try to rest the mind and body for a few minutes so as not to overload ourselves.
Whether or not it is possible to telework is old, but now it is imposed because work has become necessary and irremediable. Making it productive, enjoyable, and positive is up to us. And it can have many advantages: conciliation, setting our own rhythms and breaks, avoiding wasting time traveling, not carrying weights, being able to interrupt work for a few minutes without influencing the rest of the group, etc.
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