Working at home is clearly on the rise.
While it used to be the absolute exception for many to work at home from time to time, it has now become the rule for many employees. Unfortunately, one's own home is often not equipped for home office work.
Anyone looking for a new home of their own should therefore make sure from the outset that there will be enough space for work at home in the future.
How big should the home office be?
It is difficult to answer this question with an exact number of square meters, or rather with the specification of a certain length and width of the room. Because depending on the job, home office size requirements can vary.
But one thing is certain: the ideal solution, regardless of size, is to have your own space that is used exclusively for work.
It is important to create your own little area, so that you also have a "psychological switch" between work and free time. A desk and an office chair belong to the minimum equipment of furniture. An area of at least four to five square meters should be planned for it.
For those who do not currently have their own room, a visual separation of the area can also be made with the help of plants or a screen. In a new home, however, no compromises should be made right from the start.
If you can design a room from scratch, you should come up with an appropriate concept for it. It starts with the color of the walls and the type of floor and ends with the matching accessories and pictures that give the room its final character.
Pay attention to ergonomics
At the workplace in the company, the employer usually provides professional equipment. But on the home office is often saved exactly in the wrong place. Namely, when buying a quality desk and a good swivel chair.
In the short term, poor posture is not a major problem, but those who work permanently at home should very well keep an eye on doing so in the right sitting position. Because the health consequences can often be fatal and range from chronic back problems to circulatory disorders and venous diseases in the legs.
Since people are of different heights, the ideal working height also varies. For economic reasons, however, it is not possible for most of us to have a table made to measure. In addition, a desk is sometimes used by different people in the household, all of whom require a different configuration.
A height-adjustable desk ensures that the various work devices, such as the monitor or keyboard, can be placed at exactly the right height. Height adjustment is particularly easy if it can be carried out electrically rather than manually. These desks usually have two motors integrated into the inner frame, which can be used to adjust the height continuously.
An appropriate office chair ensures a comfortable sitting experience. Good models relieve the back muscles and intervertebral discs and allow a comfortable and ergonomic posture. The most important function in an office chair is the height adjustment, to adjust the seat height accordingly. The legs should form a right angle when sitting and the feet should be placed completely on the floor.
Equally important is an adjustable backrest. With good chairs, it is possible to adjust the backrest to the exact position that best supports the back and is most comfortable for the individual user.
Armrests on office chairs, on the other hand, are more a matter of taste. Sometimes it also depends on the activity that is performed in the home office. Backrests tend to be a hindrance when doing intensive typing work. However, if you decide to do so, you should make sure that they are also adjustable in height. For only in this way can the laying down of arms be perceived as natural and comfortable.
Ensure optimal lighting conditions
For concentration at work, the lighting conditions are also important. That's why the home office should definitely be equipped with a window. It is ideal for the eyes if the computer screen is positioned parallel to the window with the direction of view. A direct window view, on the other hand, is bad for the eyes, because the sunlight dazzles and the eyes are unnecessarily strained in the process.
Especially in the winter months, however, natural light is not enough. For artificial light provides in this case a good desk lamp. Modern LED lamps provide good light and are also particularly economical compared to other light sources.
It is important that the lamp can be easily moved and adjusted in any direction. Ideally, the brightness should be manually adjustable with a dimmer.
Ceiling lamps right above the desk, on the other hand, are not advisable, as the light is reflected on the screen here.
Oxygen promotes concentration
A window in the room is not only important for the lighting conditions, it also ensures that the room can be sufficiently supplied with oxygen. This is important to keep the concentration permanently high and not to get tired too fast at work.
It is recommended to carry out a so-called shock ventilation at least two to three times a day. This means that the window is completely open and not just tilted. Ideally, a window on the other side of the home should also be opened for this purpose, so that the air can pass through well for a period of about five to ten minutes.