2023 is officially here. The holiday season has wrapped up for the most part, and everyone is again finding their way back to the standard groove of the regular schedule. That being said, some significant changes have occurred regarding the workforce over the last few years, including the massive shift to a work-from-home environment. While many people thought that the work-from-home climate would be a temporary solution in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the legitimacy of the remote workforce was proven so quickly it’s hard to argue against it.
Employees immediately felt the benefits of a non-existent commute and a healthier work-life balance. For example, by eliminating 3-4 hours of daily commuting from many people’s lives, they could show up to work with a happier and healthier attitude, improved focus levels, and even increased productivity during working hours.
All-in-all, this meant that the work-from-home environment was not only viable but also much more permanent than previously thought. With that in mind, it’s pertinent that modern-day professionals optimize their work-from-home set up so they can stay on top of their game wherever they’re working from.
1. Switching Up Your Desk
The desk is like the point guard of the home office setup or any office setup. It’s where you’re certainly going to be spending the next time you’re working from your home office, and it’s also likely going to act as the main centerpiece that the rest of the room sort of morphs around.
Playing such an integral role at the center of your work life, your desk must meet all your needs. You want it to be big enough to get your work done without being too cumbersome for the room you’re using as your office. You also want to pick a workstation desk that offers some storage solutions to help you stay organized.
However, if you opt for a more minimalistic desk, you may just want to rely on complimentary storage external to the desk piece itself. This way, you can still keep yourself organized without relying on the desk for storage.
2. Picking a Comfortable Chair
Almost as important as the desk itself is the desk chair you choose for yourself. The desk chair is integral because it’s where you’ll be sitting every time you’re at your desk for an extended period, assuming you don’t have access to a standing desk. The desk chair is important because it can impact the health of your back and spine, shoulders, and entire skeletal structure, honestly. With your health and wellness in mind, you’ll want to focus on finding an ergonomic office or desk chair that offers you plenty of support and comfort.
The sedentary office lifestyle isn’t going anywhere. As technology advances, it becomes more essential to take our health and well-being into our own hands.
3. Making Use of Multiple Monitors
Another great productivity hack that can help you amp up your work-from-home situation is by adding a monitor. Many professionals already use two monitors to help them multitask and keep their eyes on multiple projects at once.
If you don’t already have two monitors in your home office, this is a great time to address that so you can push for growth in the new year. If you already have a second monitor, consider updating one of your screens or adding a third if you have the room.
4. Addressing the Lighting
One of the most under-emphasized aspects of a home office is the lighting. Professionals spend hours upon hours with their eyes glued to a computer monitor. This can be highly stressful on the human eye, and the strain only worsens when there’s insufficient lighting.
Take the stress off your eyes by ensuring that you have adequate lighting solutions set up in your home office so that you aren’t literally working in the dark.
5. Picking a Headset
Another relatively underrated piece of home office equipment that can make a massive difference to the working-from-home experience is the right headset. Headsets are essential for taking and making calls.
Not only does this make it easier to hear your colleagues, but it also makes it a lot easier for them to hear you, and it should help minimize any audio interference making work calls from home an audio breeze.
A few Final Thoughts
Working from home used to be a thing of a dream. Now, though, it’s a reality for a huge portion of the professional workforce. If you haven’t already, the beginning of 2023 is a great time to optimize your work-from-home setup.
