Every second office worker had some sort of dream of working from home. No alarms, shower and toilet is always close by, ironing is not necessary, so as tolerate annoying colleagues.

No need to rush into a crowded bus, you can have a snack and coffee at any time, cat is not alone anymore ?.

Freelance in the eyes of a average man who never worked from home…

Coronavirus has given the opportunity, if not all, then many people to feel all the “charm” of remote work. And after the introduction of self-isolation not everyone liked working remotely. In addition to the cozy atmosphere (most likely a mess), which is not conducive to concentrated work, people are depressed by the lack of normal working conditions.

A lot of people just don’t have anywhere to keep their documents. It’s also uncomfortable to work at a computer in your bedroom sitting on a hard stool. And the light from the desk lamp isn’t as bright as you’d like it to be. You’ll have to go out and create office space at home. If you don’t want to spend all your nerves during the insulation time, spend the money to buy furniture. In the future it will not be superfluous, but you will not lose your job and will not go crazy trying to find a “corner” in the kitchen or sofa. Most of us do not have any savings – then make an installment plan or take a loan. Costs will pay off.

1. Compact computer table

In separate offices it is comfortable to sit at a spacious bulky table. Nobody interferes, there is a lot of space, it seems easy. But when a person lives with his family in a small apartment, you have to do with models with a small counter top.

Believe me, you’ve initiated the move of your corner more than once. Even within the same room. First you’ll realize it’s uncomfortable to have a door behind you. Then you’ll realize that the view from the window is too distracting. Then you find out that the window at the back is reflected in your computer screen, etc. There can be no universal advice, everything depends on the number of family members, the number of doors in the room, the location of the windows, the environment outside the window and personal preferences.

But now we are talking about the convenience of rearranging the furniture. If the computer table is lightweight, it will allow to move it to another room without problems. Do not have to catch every time the sympathetic views of the household (as if in most cases, they are not the perpetrators of moving around the apartment). Buy a mobile workstation. Yes, on wheels (preferably with stoppers, so that the table does not go when you “fit” to his chair).

This is what “mobile home office” looks like. It’s inexpensive, and the benefits are tangible.

Still doubt you need it? Then pay attention to the most obvious advantages of a mobile table:

• Until you choose the ideal place in the room, you can move the “office” and try out its new position within 5 minutes.
• In summertime you can close with such a table on the balcony (by the way, summer is coming soon).
• If you work better in the bedroom during the day and at night your wife/ husband/child gets in the way of your keyboard keyboards, you can easily move to the kitchen at night and finish your work there quietly.

A sliding keyboard shelf is no longer necessary as many people use a notebook. If you give up models with a shelf, it will save money.

It is also convenient that such models have few details, so it is always easy to disassemble and remove them until the next unfortunate time. For example, at the end of quarantine the table can be folded up and put into the closet until you need it again (until better times – we sincerely hope that there will be no more epidemics).

2. Office chair with comfortable backrest and headrest.

Who else will take care of an employee’s health at a remote location, if not himself? Most of us put up with an uncomfortable chair and try to solve the problem of a comfortable fit by putting pillows on our stools. You can’t do this – each time you put the pillow on, your position will be unstable and your muscles will be tense. So you will not be able to stay calm and sit at work for a long time. You’ll be fidgeting all the time, as they say in the commonplace.

But you just decided to work from home, you don’t earn money – where can you get money for such “luxury”? No, do not take a loan yet (and who will give it, you are unlikely to have already registered an IE or registered in the tax office as self-employed). Suddenly, you realize for sure that freelance is not for you. Sacrifice yourself – work as a self-employed person for 2-4 months, deny yourself everything, eat pasta. Because it will be 100 times worse for health and productivity if you leave the question of arranging the workplace unresolved. In addition, in a non-working environment you will not earn a lot, but the modern workplace will “beckon” you in the morning and allow you to “sit down” for business until night, or even until morning (respectively, there will be more money). And finally, having earned the capital of your dreams, you will not have to spend it on operations to remove the spine hernia, treatment of tunnel arm syndrome, osteochondrosis and depression.

We talked about the table. Let’s move on to buying a chair. The ideal computer chair supports your back and allows you to relax a little during breaks.

The best option is the one that rests on a soft roller in the lower back and is equipped with a comfortable headrest and armrests. It’s great if the angle of the backrest is adjustable. Then the worker will not get tired of being in one position.

Almost any chair can be adjusted to the height of the table so that it is easy to type on the keyboard or write – no problem. You wouldn’t choose a soft office chair on a metal frame, would you?

You don’t have to go to extremes. Yeah, a gaming chair is perfect for a computer chair. But you won’t need one – you can do fine with a regular adjustable soft chair made of faux leather.

3. Save your eyesight. Modern lights.

That’s what a bright desk lamp is for sure won’t empty your wallet. The important thing is that the light should fall on the left, at a comfortable angle. An adjustable table lamp with a “peg” or a mechanism for attaching it to a table or shelf is an excellent choice for lighting.

It’d be great if the workspace was by the window. Then you can make a quick charge for your eyes during breaks: focus your eyes first on one point close to you, and then look away, but not “running” eyes. It’s as if you “shoot the gaze” to draw a line between near and far points on the same plane. This will prevent you from becoming a victim of so-called computer vision.

If it is possible to place the computer near the window, remember that you cannot place the computer in front of the windows – there will be flares. And you should not open the window while working – you will be blown away.

Ophthalmologist’s advice. Artificial light should fall on the work area on the left side. In addition, the sun’s rays should not be reflected on the screen. Any glare must be eliminated.

4. Where to store all the little things

Switching to home mode may involve processing not only electronic but also paper documents. In the case of freelancers, everything is usually limited to the files on your computer. But still, sooner or later we all need stationery.

Hinged racks and compact shelves save under all circumstances. Once the self-insulation has been completed, they will look great with flowers or souvenirs. If a computer table is equipped with lockers, this is the answer to the question where to put things so that they do not create a mess on the table.

Nobody cancelled organizers – they save space and help keep order. The only downside is that dust accumulates in them. So if you need different sheets, documents and folders not every 15 minutes, it is more logical to arrange lockers.

5. You need to relax too, and not just after work.

Usually in offices employees put on their desk a picture of their spouse or child, some calendars or a souvenir brought from an unforgettable trip. This helps to distract themselves from work routine and briefly switch their attention to pleasant moments in their lives.

But at home it is not quite relevant, especially during quarantine – the housewives are nearby, the beloved cat rumbles on the side, and souvenir magnets are already preventing you from opening the fridge. So don’t be distracted in vain – otherwise the family won’t wait for you for dinner because of the endless work. To rest eyes from the computer, it is better to put near a small aquarium with fish (find time to wash it), indoor plant (not tired geranium, but something stylish like succulents) or relaxing lamp (they are different – with bubbles, for example).

The succulents are humble and small. So they will not flicker before your eyes like the same aquarium fish, will not become a dust collector and will not take up much space.

You can organize your workplace in any, even the most restrictive conditions. Something is already available at home, and some small things will have to be bought. If you value not only work, but also health – it is worth spending on the right equipment. This is an investment – a comfortable workplace will save your nerves and increase your productivity.

Author Bio:

As a Marketing Specialist, has extensive experience in writing about various topics including technology, gadgets,social media, and digital marketing. If he’s not writing articles for Monitask, he’s either watching favorite TV series or reading a book on how be more productive and efficient.