With over a third of American adults doing fully remote jobs and many more on a hybrid schedule, working in a home office went from an occasional thing to a regular one. The amount of work or job-related tasks done outside business premises went up by 140 percent since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the average person now spends 62 percent of their time in their house. As such, it’s not enough to be productive in your home office - you need to make sure it's healthy too. Here are a few ways to freshen your air, move more, and increase natural light exposure.
Embrace Micromovement
A Japanese study found that having office workers switch between sitting and standing periodically instead of staying seated reduced shoulder and neck pain, improved work engagement, elevated perceived wellness, and increased job performance. Such trials prompted an article in The Conversation to insist that “Reducing or interrupting sitting by standing up or moving around can improve your blood circulation, metabolism, heart health, mental health and lifespan.”
Using an adjustable desk will encourage you to switch positions throughout the day, but when you get into a flow state, have back-to-back Zoom calls, or have more tasks to complete than usual, you might end up sitting all day. Even prolonged standing – while preferable to sitting physiologically and ergonomically – can make being upright your new stress position. Tempo from Ergodriven recognizes when you’ve been fixed in one position for too long and automatically adjusts your desk. You can schedule it to switch desk height at set times, gradually increase standing duration, or let the autopilot feature remove the guesswork. This way, you’re changing between sitting and standing regularly and moving more often.
A mat with a textured surface, varying shapes, and different densities can help encourage you to switch your foot position, stretch out your ankles and lower legs, and reset your posture. Topo by Ergodriven includes a central teardrop that can also be used to mobilize sore feet, a calf raise shelf, and side and front rails to tilt your feet on, all of which prompt mini movements throughout the day. These promote circulation, stop soreness, and relieve the aches and pains office workers often struggle with.
Another bonus such micromovements provide is that they increase the amount of energy you burn throughout the course of the day. Dr. James Levine from the Mayo Clinic found that fidgeting while sitting increases the number of calories used by 29 percent compared to being static, and shifting from foot to foot, rocking, and other small motions when standing led to a 38 percent boost. Levine has shown how doing so increases non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), which is how much energy you consume when not training. Doing some chores, taking frequent movement breaks, and pacing around the house while talking to colleagues are other ways to increase NEAT during your workday.
Upgrade Air Quality
You’d think that when you’re indoors working in your office, the air you’re breathing is going to be cleaner and fresher than when outside. After all, isn’t that one of the benefits of air conditioning? But actually, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that “the concentrations of some pollutants are often 2 to 5 times higher” inside. These can include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in paint, adhesives, and carpet pads, fumes from the fuels used for heating and cooking, and mold. Unless you live in an airtight Passive House, the same gaps in your home’s walls and poorly sealed windows and doors that cause drafts, moisture buildup, and hot and cold spots also allow outdoor allergens, wildfire smoke, pollutants, and other irritants to creep in.
Interestingly, improving air quality not only has a positive impact on asthma, allergies, and overall wellbeing, but also on the quality of your work. A Harvard study found that workers improved cognition by 61 percent when working in an office with moderately better air quality and 101 percent when the air was even fresher. A review that summarized previous studies noted that “Improved indoor air quality (IAQ) has been shown to result in higher productivity, better cognitive performance, reduced absenteeism, less reported job stress, and increased job satisfaction.”
A simple way to upgrade the air quality in your home office is to use a high-grade furnace filter. Look for one that is rated to at least MPR 1500, as this will trap enough allergens, pollution, and other irritants to make a difference. You could also put a portable air purifier in a corner. Wirecutter’s tests concluded that two Coway Airmega models reduced smoke particles by over 99 percent, as did the Winix 5500-2. Two Blueair options are not only quiet and economical, but also allow you to nerd out on air quality with a convenient app.
You could also harness the power of nature to breathe better air. A pioneering study by NASA engineerspiped three harmful chemicals into a sealed chamber. Then they introduced various plants to see what would happen and were surprised that several removed up to 90 percent of the offending substances. The three most effective options were the Gerbera daisy, English ivy, and the snake plant. Add some greenery and you might work smarter too. University of Queensland professors discovered that people in offices with plants were 15 percent more productive.
Let Light In
Perhaps you already have your home office setting dialed in. But you’d be amazed how many remote workers are stuck toiling away in a closet, basement, or other part of their dwelling not designed for the purpose. One of the biggest drawbacks of such sub-optimal, makeshift offices is that while they might have bright overhead LEDs or lamps for illumination, they lack natural lighting. According to one article on the topic, “Workers in windowless offices are less happy, less healthy and more stressed than their colleagues with steady sources of daylight,” with a Northwestern University study showing that people in such environments sleep 46 minutes less per night.
Researchers have shown that as soon as people get more natural light and can see outdoors, their physical wellbeing, work output, and mental health improve. Australian scientists discovered that looking out at a natural scene for just 40 seconds improved focus and attention. The Future Workplace Wellness Studyconcluded that 70 percent of employees reported better work performance when they were by a window and 78 percent improved their overall wellbeing. Cornell University professor Alan Hedge found that letting daylight into workspaces reduced eyestrain by 51 percent, drowsiness by 56 percent, and headaches by 63 percent.
The best bang for your buck with natural light is moving your desk into a room with windows. If that’s not possible, try taking your laptop to well-lit areas of your house and, if you have a glare-resistant screen, getting out on the patio or deck for at least a while would be a plus. If you sometimes work at a coffee shop or coworking space, show up early enough to secure a sunlit spot.