{"id":10713,"date":"2022-09-22T11:38:23","date_gmt":"2022-09-22T15:38:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/?p=10713"},"modified":"2022-09-22T11:46:03","modified_gmt":"2022-09-22T15:46:03","slug":"four-experts-share-tips-on-creating-your-best-work-from-home-space","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/2022\/09\/22\/four-experts-share-tips-on-creating-your-best-work-from-home-space\/","title":{"rendered":"Four Experts Share Tips On Creating Your Best Work From Home Space\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Are you one of the millions of Americans<\/em> who began working from home when the pandemic began in 2020 \u2013 and continue to do so as it eases? Or perhaps you\u2019re working part-time from home, or pursuing an advanced degree while you commute to a job. Or maybe you\u2019ve always worked from home, possibly running your own business. In any of these scenarios, having a space that is optimized for health, functionality and security will make your work life better. Four experts share insights on how to set yours up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creating a Healthier Workspace<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jasmine Marcus , a physical therapist in Ithaca, New York, works with patients on orthopedic issues that include workplace well-being. She\u2019s seeing more complain of ailments related to their home-based workstations since the pandemic began, she says. \u201cI\u2019ve also read research backing this up. It tends to be more low back and neck pain,\u201d she adds. Marcus attributes this to not having setups designed for full days of work.
[\u2026]
Acknowledging that a quality desk chair is going to be the right choice for your body, Marcus offers these tips on selecting one: \u201cYou want it to be comfortable and supportive of your spine, as well as adjustable in height. You also want adjustable arm rests so your shoulders can be relaxed while your arms are supported. If you\u2019re shorter and your feet can\u2019t reach the ground, you should add a footrest.\u201d [\u2026] \u201cSitting all day is hard on the body, no matter how great your setup is. I think a standup desk is key for being able to change position frequently.\u201d [\u2026]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creating a Well-Designed Workspace<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[\u2026] Daniel Ian Smith, a San Francisco and New York-based interior designer, says many professional clients are incorporating home offices in their renovation projects. [\u2026] Artwork is also a great workspace enhancement, he says. \u201cWhen you\u2019re not staring at a screen, you should be looking at something inspiring. I love expansive landscape photography for this, especially if there\u2019s not a large window with a view.\u201d Connecting with nature offers wellness design benefits and is a big work from home trend, he adds. \u201cGet a desk that has beautiful texture or natural wood grain.\u201d He also suggests plants and personalization. \u201cGet the office chair in a bright color instead of black.\u201d Textiles like custom lumbar supports covers can also be colorful and interesting, he adds. [\u2026]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creating a Smarter Workspace<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[\u2026] Beyond security, Whitaker says a home office should have good lighting, audio and acoustical features and, as Smith noted, video capability. When it comes to lighting, he comments that home offices \u2013 even dedicated, enclosed spaces \u2013 are often multi-functional. \u201cIt’s a conference room, research lab, and even a place to possibly unwind after a grueling day of work. Each use case requires a different color temperature when you consider task-based lighting,\u201d he comments. Having a smart lighting system that you can adjust as needed is a smart, healthy approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Acoustics can be challenging in a home environment, even when noise from open, adjacent rooms is not a consideration. Acoustical panels can correct for sound issues, the technologist notes. So can features that absorb noise and vibration like rugs and even plants. […]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creating a Functional Workspace<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Irene Williams, a digital wellness educator, speaker and long-time work from home professional adopted the Japanese concept of Kaizen, meaning continuous improvement, into shaping her space and schedule. \u201cI keep my processes streamlined and work areas organized,\u201d she shares. What this looks like for Williams is \u201cmaking sure outlets, phone chargers, and basic supplies are available and easy to reach anywhere I might be working; I move around to different spaces throughout the day, including out on the patio. I have batteries for my headset microphone right by the station where I conduct virtual meetings.\u201d She also has lumbar pillows, footrests, and other items positioned so she can work ergonomically and comfortably, she adds.
[…]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn our next house, I want to have a cart set up to accommodate my virtual meetings and Zoom recordings. It will have the lighting attached and all the accoutrements on board so all I have to add is my laptop to be ready to go. But, because this will all be on a cart, I can roll it around to different spots and, most importantly, roll it into a closet when not in use. Right now, an entire corner of our pretty study stays set up for Zoom meetings because it\u2019d be too cumbersome to disassemble after every use. That\u2019s not the aesthetic I prefer, but it is the best option for now.\u201d Many of us are dealing with our current best options, and collecting ideas for improvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Gold, Jamie. \u201cFour Experts Share Tips on Creating Your Best Work from Home Space.\u201d Forbes<\/em>, Forbes Magazine, 17 Aug. 2022, https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/jamiegold\/2022\/08\/16\/four-experts-share-tips-on-creating-your-best-work-from-home-space\/?sh=53d96d557e0f.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

With the boom of work-from-home created by the pandemic, many more people, most with no experience in space design, have needed to create a quality home office for themselves. The considerations of this activity are much like my own in the digital public participation lab. These experts’ advice for creating a work space that is healthy, comfortable, efficient, and flexible is advice that I should take.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Are you one of the millions of Americans who began working from home when the pandemic began in 2020 \u2013 and continue to do so as it eases? Or perhaps you\u2019re working part-time from home, or pursuing an advanced degree while you commute to a job. Or maybe you\u2019ve always worked from home, possibly running […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":11545,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-10713","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-focus"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10713","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/84"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10713"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10713\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11546,"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10713\/revisions\/11546"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11545"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10713"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10713"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/desis.osu.edu\/seniorthesis\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10713"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}