Looks like there will be some more time in my “home office” (read: kitchen counter) this September. If you’re like me, you spend a lot of time in the spring trying to make a comfortable place for you to work. My husband and I worked out a relatively comfortable coexistance during quarantine and I’ll need to set up a home office for those days when I’m teaching remotely in the fall again.
But I’m not going to make the same mistakes twice. Now that I have time to plan, here are some things I’ve learned from the pros about making working from home more comfortable:
Choose a chair where my feet hit the floor (no more cross legged on the couch or perched on the kitchen stool).
Sit in a place where my wrists bend when I type or use the mouse. I can prop up my laptop with books if I need to. Additionally, the screen of my laptop needs to be at eye level.
Lumbar support is critical. Rolled up towel would be fine if I can’t find a pillow I love.
When I’m in the classroom, I walk around constantly, but in my home office, I’m basically glued to my chair. Short frequent stretch breaks are going to be built in to my day from now on. In the spring, I would often look up from my laptop and realize the entire day had flown by without a break. No more, mister. I’m all about 5 minute breaks every 20 minutes. Additionally, I’m going to continue alternating sitting at the table with standing at the counter.
Since I’m working on a laptop, I’m buying an external mouse for comfort reasons. If remote learning goes on for much longer, I’m also considering an external keyboard.
What are you doing to keep your home office comfortable and safe?
Image: Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication