Probably the majority of us breathed a sigh of relief during the last minutes of 2020, hoping that 2021 would allow more freedoms. Although we’re on the right track with the vaccine, COVID-19 is still with us and will most likely be with us for the conceivable future.
This means that those of us who have the ability to work from home need to carry on doing so. So, it’s time to stop working on our lounge furniture with our laptops balance precariously on our laps and invest in some proper technology for your work-from-home (WFH) office.
Ergonomics Is Super Important
Before we even start to speak about technology, you need to make sure that your desk’s ergonomics are right.
Ensure that your screen is at eye level, so you do not have to constantly bend your head to see your laptop screen. If you do this, you’ll end up with incredible neck pain and possibly even vertigo if the pain continues.
You have two solutions here. You can either invest in a second monitor that you can plug into your laptop and which enhances the mobile screen. Alternatively, if price is an issue invest in a laptop stand.
Secondly, you need to make sure that your posture is correct. You need to work with your feet flat on the floor and when you’re sitting down your legs need to at right angles to your hips. When you’re typing your wrists, need to rest gently on your desk and your elbows need to be in a right angle.
Spend Money On A Decent Scanner And Printer
When you’re in the office, it’s very easy for the HR executive to pop in and ask you to sign a document or ask you to visit this site quickly. However, just because you’re working from home doesn’t mean that you won’t need to sign documentation for the company’s records. You’re just going to need to find a way of getting these signed documents back to the person who needs them.
To do this, you’re going to need to print the document out, sign it and then send it back. (This is unless your company has invested in an electronic signature program.) A lot of manufacturers have realised that most people are working from home and have thus made their scanners and printers more affordable.
You don’t need heavy-duty machines, as you probably won’t be processing a lot of documents. However, you can’t have something that breaks after just one day of use. So the rule of thumb is to go for a recognised brand as they will have a reputation to uphold so they won’t sell you rubbish.
These are just some of the things that you need to think about and there are dozens more. So when you kit out your home office, remember one thing: cheap is definitely not cheerful. You’re going to be spending quite a lot of time in this area – just as you do in the office – so make sure that it works well for you.
