How to set up a home office

Even if you work from home only in quarantine, this is not a reason to break your back in an uncomfortable chair, plant your vision in a semi-dark room and tear the charger out of a ball of wires with irritation. We will show you how to equip a mini-office and what to consider so that working from home remains productive and enjoyable.

Choose a suitable location

A good home office is one in which nothing distracts you from your work. Therefore, if you have Small children or outgoing relatives, a spacious room with good lighting can lose out in a cramped closet.

You can equip yourself a work corner almost anywhere - in the bedroom, in the dressing room, under the stairs, on the loggia. The main thing is to choose a room with the lowest noise level. Believe me, silence is much more important than a beautiful appearance.

If there is no free and quiet room, try adding white noise. An extractor hood in the kitchen, an air purifier, a fan, even just an open window with street noises - the monotonous hum distracts much less than conversations or the sound of a turned on TV.

Separate your work area from other space

The main problem for those who are not used to working from home is the inability to concentrate due to the relaxed atmosphere. To get rid of all temptations and feel at work, separate the space from the rest apartments.

You can do this with a little rearrangement. For example, move the closet or shelves of books to visually separate your work area from the main room.

Another option is a temporary job. For example, a folding table that will unfold when you start work tasks, and put away back as unnecessary. Such a solution will help to clearly separate working hours from rest.

It is important to remove from the focal zone everything that you associate with rest: game console, musical instruments and any other things that you grab hold of as soon as you get tired or bored.

Take care of the ergonomics of the workplace

At first, you may be damn comfortable sitting in an easy chair or couch, but only until you get shot in the back when trying to get up. Therefore, take care of the ergonomics of the workspace in advance. Your health depends on itOffice ergonomics: Your how-to guide.

Choose the right chair and adjust it

If you have the opportunity to buy a new chair, choose a model with variable heights and good lumbar support. When you sit on it, the lower back should fit snugly against the back.

At the same time, there should be free space between the edge of the chair and the knees, otherwise pressure on the legs and pinched blood flow cannot be avoided. If the backrest is very reclined and there is no way to lift it, consider an orthopedic pad.

What to buy

• Supporting pillow for the chair from Fellowes, 3,550 rubles →
• Office chair with imitation leather upholstery from Brabix, 7 329 rubles →
• Computer chair from Riva, 5 265 rubles →
• Office chair with polyurethane foam filling from Chairman, 4 130 rubles →

When the chair is found, you need to correctly adjust its height. When you sit at the table, the hands should be approximately at the same level with the elbows or slightly lower. The wrists should be straight without kinking. Adjust the height of the chair to the correct position.

Then check if your feet are on the floor. If the heels come off, make a footrest. For example, from a ream of paper or several books.

You can also purchase an adjustable, movable footrest with a variable angle.

What to buy

• Office footrest with braces from Brauberg, 1 888 rubles →
• Footrest with a relief surface from "Bureaucrat", 1,610 rubles →
• Footrest with anti-slip coating from IKEA, 999 rubles →

Adjust the position of the monitor

Monitor should be at eye level at arm's length. If you have it lower, make a stable pedestal out of handy items.

If you are using a laptop, try dedicated stands and a portable keyboard.

Choose accessories that can be adjusted so that you can change the height depending on the workplace and even complete tasks while standing.

What to buy

• Stand for laptop and mouse from AliExpress, from 1 867 rubles → 
• Stand for laptop and mouse with ventilation holes from Expresstechno, 2 300 rubles →
• Monitor stand with drawer from Fellowes, 2 940 rubles →
• Stand for a monitor or printer with a drawer from Brauberg, 2,038 rubles →

Those who communicate a lot on the phone may need a headset. It will be much safer to talk like this. neck and is more comfortable than pressing your smartphone with your shoulder to your ear or holding your hand in the air.

Adjust lighting

Lighting playsDaytime light exposure dynamically enhances brain responses a huge role in our productivity. Lack of light relaxes, deprives you of energy and induces sleep. The best option is plenty of daylight. If possible, arrange a workplace next to a window. Place the table so that the sun's light comes from the side and does not fall on the monitor, otherwise glare will be inconvenient.

If your window is facing the sunny side, it can be uncomfortable at lunchtime because of too much light. This is especially true for the office. on the balcony - during the day it will probably also be very hot there. The solution may be to install blinds or use curtains.

If you are working in an area without a window, provide a good light source. In addition to the overhead light, buy a table lamp. Adjustable clamp fixtures work well. They do not take up space on the table as they attach to the edge or wall.

As for the color temperature, it is best not to install fluorescent lamps with cold white light - long use will increase theEye Disease Resulting From Increased Use of Fluorescent Lighting as a Climate Change Mitigation Strategy risk of vision problems. Choose options with a parameter from 2,500 to 3,500 kelvin. It is a warm yellowish light that is comfortable and does not harm your eyes.

What to buy

• Lamp with an adjustable tripod and mount for a table or wall from IKEA, 899 rubles →
• Table lamp with clamp fastening from "Transvit", 860 rubles →
• Table lamp with a clamp-clamp and an adjustable stand from "Era", 861 rubles →
• Table lamp with an adjustable tripod from Camelion, 1,266 rubles →

Take care of the wires

An abundance of gadgets and charging cables can ruin even the most thoughtful and comfortable workplace. Try organizing the wires using regular stationery clips.

There are also more original ways. For example, springs from handles and magnets.

If you don't feel like making accessories for wires on your own, you can buy ready-made options. They are inexpensive and allow you to keep a stack of chargers in order and always at hand.

What to buy

• Holders for four or seven cables from AliExpress, from 215 rubles →
• A set of holders for wires from Bluelounge, 409 rubles →
• Organizer box with a cover for wires from IKEA, 599 rubles →
• Suspended horizontal channel for wires from IKEA, 599 rubles →

Organize your desktop space

Keeping your desk neat and tidy helps you to focus and remove distractions. In order not to dig into the cluttered space, leave only what you use constantly around you. Place other items in drawers or shelves.

If you have a lot of books and documents, give preference to vertical organizers - they save space and make it easier to access the papers you need.

Also pay attention to hanging models, especially if you have a small table. A good option is prefabricated storage modules.

You can add any fasteners to the base panel made of fiberboard and place stationery, papers, chargers and other accessories on the wall.

What to buy

• Hanging section for accessories from IKEA, 399 rubles →
• Metal hanging shelf-organizer from AliExpress, from 231 rubles →
• Wall panel-organizer for stationery and other small things from IKEA, 3 333 rubles →
• Wall panel for storing accessories from IKEA, 1 699 rubles →

It is better to remove unnecessary things that are not related to work. Photos from vacation and brightly colored interior items are great, but they can disrupt your workflow. Especially when fatigue takes its toll and the brain is looking for something to be distracted by.

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How do you organize your workplace at home? Share your experience in the comments.