Most people spend at least forty hours a week at the office, which is no small amount when you put things into perspective. Unfortunately, many people don’t enjoy the benefits of a comfortable office environment, with poorly-fitting furniture being one of the common culprits. Working in an office that doesn’t offer adequate ergonomics can impact your physical health in the long term, leading to body aches and pain.
But it’s not just about functionality. The aesthetics of a room are also very important for productivity and energy levels. For instance, getting plenty of natural light throughout the workday allows you to keep your energy levels relatively constant. With that in mind, let’s have a look at the things you should have in mind if you’ve decided that your office area is overdue for a makeover.
The furniture
When you think of office furniture, the first thing that comes to mind is the office desk. Many mistakenly believe that the desk is nothing more than a support for you to work, but that can be reductive and downplay its importance. The truth is that your office desk is a tool that can either make or break your productivity, so you should think of its design more like something you integrate into your daily work. If your office is in dire need of new furniture items, you should consider Vepa, a furniture factory committed to bringing ergonomics and functional interior architecture to all offices.
The ideal office desk needs to hold all electronic components and be readily equipped with wire management solutions to keep cables in order and avoid them becoming tangled together. The desks must also have sufficient storage capacity to avoid unsightly clutter piling up on all surfaces. Minimising the piles of papers and documents on desks will also keep workstations cleaner, better ventilated, and safer. Reducing clutter also helps with productivity by removing distractions from the work environment.
The desks must also be set up in an ergonomically sound way so you’re not slouching your shoulders or craning your neck throughout the day. Your screen must be at eye level or one to two inches below at the most. Otherwise, you’ll increase the likelihood of eye strain. This pesky condition can genuinely affect your concentration as it causes persistent headaches, blurry vision and even shoulder, neck and back pain. The elbows should be bent at ninety degrees, with the wrists placed flat at the keyboard.
Chairs
The best office chair is adjustable so that you can change it depending on your particular requirements. To test the ergonomics of your chair, you need to see whether your lower and mid-back feel comfortable in the chair throughout the day. Your spine must feel relaxed, comfortable and supported, or you’ll soon need physical therapy and even surgery to bring the bones back into alignment. Look for office chairs that support the natural curvature of the spine to guarantee comfort.
On vepa.co.uk, you can choose from a wide array of chairs. Made from sustainable materials like residual hemp fibres and recycled sterilisation blue wrap, these chairs are the best choice for those who want to support eco-friendly brands and bring green practices into their businesses. On top of getting new chairs, you can also invest in lumbar-support pillows or seat cushions to make even the most uncomfortable chairs feel plush and comfy. And, of course, you must remember to train yourself to sit properly in your chair. Your back should be leaning against the backrest, as leaning forward puts pressure on the vertebra and contributes to the development of poor posture.
Split keyboard
You’re most likely familiar with the standard, classic keyboard everyone uses, but it isn’t the most comfortable and ergonomic choice you could make for your office. The fully split keyboard is much more comfortable and responsive. Most models come with flat slopes so that your wrists remain in a comfy position. The reason for this is that the split keyboard allows you to relax your shoulders and keep your hands shoulder-width apart, as they should be.
The regular keyboard you can find in most offices unfortunately doesn’t allow you to maintain this position, and keep your hands on an inwards angle. This further causes your shoulders to hunch forward. In time, this can lead to rounded shoulders, a postural issue that pushes the shoulder out of the ideal alignment of the body. Split keyboards are also typically much more adjustable, and they can be customised to fit your preferred typing position.
They are also a perfect fit regardless of your physical frame, as some people find it difficult to work properly with some appliances, depending on their height.
Lights
Having good lighting throughout the day is imperative for your work. Ideally, you should get plenty of natural light as it has proven health benefits, such as allowing for the development of a healthy circadian rhythm and giving you an energy boost. But what about the gloomy months with few daylight hours? And what about working later in the evening, after it gets darker outside? Artificial light comes to the rescue in those situations.
The best solution is to combine overhead lighting with desk lamps to create a healthy balance of lights that will allow you to focus. Task lights can be aimed in a specific direction as well and are the ideal choice for tasks that are more visually demanding and require extra focus. If your eyesight is not the best and you need some additional help while writing or reading, you’ll also benefit from the extra help.
Anything else that can reduce stress and make working a more relaxing experience for you overall should also be part of the office. This can include a plant that will bring a touch of greenery indoors, a diffuser that will bring pleasant scents into your work environment and headphones so you can play your favourite tunes to give yourself an energy boost throughout the day.
Creating the perfect office isn’t as difficult as it might seem when you’ve got a comprehensive list of things you should bring into the space.
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