Settling down on the sofa or propping up your laptop on some books isn’t ideal when you’ve got a full day’s work ahead. It’s always a better idea to find a space in your home that you can turn into a proper working office. That’s why we’ve put our heads together and picked out a few things that will really help turn that little corner of your house into a place where you can power through your day.
Choosing an office chair
Yes, it may seem obvious, but you can’t beat a good office chair. Why? Well, it’s fully adjustable and you can make yourself comfortable – providing much need back support. We all know the pain of a week spent working on a dining room chair. And it helps to give you that mental divide from working on your sofa or in bed. When you sit down in your very office chair each morning, you know that it’s time for work.
What office chair should I get?
First things first – think about how much time you spend at your desk, and if you need additional support for your back. It’s important that you’re comfortable all day – so picking a chair with good padding and lots to adjust really matters. And if you also like PC gaming, getting a gaming chair might be the best of both worlds.
Block out distractions with noise-cancelling headphones
In a perfect world, we’d all like a soundproof office where we can get away from household noises – whether that’s the TV, pets, or a ringing phone. But most of us live in houses with plenty of distractions, and deadlines that can’t wait.
So, when you really need to concentrate, a pair of noise-cancelling headphones is a godsend. On top models, you can easily switch between total silence, letting the world back in or listening to music – without interrupting the rest of the house.
Picking the right mouse and keyboard
Working at home on a laptop can be a tricky business – especially if you’re using a trackpad to move between emails, spreadsheets and documents. It may seem obvious, but until you invest in a wireless, optical mouse which runs smoothly on any table or desk, you don’t know what you’re missing.
The same is true of a keyboard. Give your laptop an upgrade with enhanced, programmable keys. It also means you can raise your laptop screen to a comfortable height while keeping your keyboard within easy reach. This will prevent you from hunching over your laptop.
Lighting is everything
Lighting makes a space, and this is certainly true when it comes to your home office. Whether you work in a part of the house which doesn’t get great natural light, or your household bulbs are a bit underpowered – it’s great to have a consistent light that works with you.
You could pick up a standard desk lamp but (since most of us use backlit computer screens anyway) you might not need that kind of directional lighting. One great solution is smart lighting. You can control everything from your phone and even set a schedule so once you hit the end of your working day the lights automatically dim to remind you that it’s time to relax.
Need any more help?
For more advice setting up your home working setup, pop in-store or talk to one of our colleagues using ShopLive.
