We spend close to 10 hours a day in our offices, and if we have a desk job then most of that time is spent in working at our workstations. Our mood, our efficiency levels, and even our productivity is largely impacted by the environment we work in.
A little investment in improvising our workspaces will benefit us a great deal, both long and short term. Linnda Durré, noted psychotherapist and corporate consultant emphasizes the need to create ‘positive workplaces’ to enhance ‘excellence’ and ‘productivity’.
Let’s look at some ways to help us design the ideal space for work.
The essentials. Although you’ve heard people stressing about good posture before, it’s the most important aspect to fix at your workstation. A study from the Arthritis Disease Center says that about 50 to 80 percent of Americans suffer from back pain. And poor posture contributes significantly to the problem.
The thumb-rule for maintaining good posture is simple. Make sure that your joints are aligned naturally with your desk. Your spine, wrists, elbows and knees should not be stressed, and your muscles should be relaxed.
You also need to take care of lighting conditions. If you work during the day and have an option to let in natural light, that should be your go-to lighting option. If not, a desk lamp with neutral or warm white light should work just fine.
The ideal condition includes a workstation that’s free from noise and is well ventilated.
The accessories. The devices and the toys that you can use at work only get better with time. The University of St. Andrews now recommends a new keyboard with keys following the KALQ pattern rather than the traditional QWERTY layout. This redesign in the pattern of keys claims to improve speed and enhance performance.
Also, if you like your mouse to move your cheese, try one of the 3D rotation ones, instead of 2D. Experiment with both, the wheel mouse and the joy mouse, and see what works best for you. If you love the screen, then simply get your office to invest in touchscreen and you’re sorted.
The frills. Let’s admit it. We all love the frills. Whether it is about adding a beanbag at your desk or getting a fancy new wallpaper, it does make your workstation a much better place to hang out and of course, work from.
You can also push the envelope a little bit here and adopt an indoor plant or create space for an aquatic pet on your desk. Add the stationery you like, maybe a doodle pad with crayons and colour pens, frame photographs or put up motivational posters.
It’s after all, your very own workstation. Just make it work for you.
