5 Effective Ways to Improve Your WFH Setup During the COVID-19 Pandemic

With the work-from-home arrangement becoming the new normal for many employees, it is essential to ensure that your home workspace is set up correctly to maximize productivity. 

By now, we all know that dedicating a workspace and minimizing distractions is critical to producing a healthy remote work setup. To help you further improve your remote work environment, we listed several ways to make your WFH setup more efficient, productive, and enjoyable. 

#1: Maintain a Clean and Organized Work Station

Having a clean and organized workspace is vital to keep yourself productive and focused at work. Everything from your desktop to your notepad should be organized to relieve you of distractions while working in the long run. 

There are many benefits that come with an organized workspace, such as:

• Low-stress levels. Having a cluttered workspace can affect our general mental health, making us feel stressed, anxious, or depressed. Keeping your place tidy will help you stay focused and stress-free throughout the day.
• High Memory Retention. Keeping your work station organized and free of clutter can help you remember important tasks that need to be accomplished during the day. Clutter has the tendency to cover up your notes and to-do lists, which can be easily overlooked while working in comparison to having none at all. 
• Induces Efficiency. A clean desk can maximize your efficiency by knowing where everything is, eliminating the time to look for it. This makes reaching out for your notepad, pen, or other stationery items much easier. 

Taking the time to clean and sort out your desktop screen is also beneficial in improving your WFH setup. Since we spend most of our time looking at our devices, ensuring that your screen is clean and void of clutter (such as apps, documents, etc.) will make working less strenuous for your eyes.

#2: Have an Ergonomic Workstation

Working from home, much like the office, requires us to sit down for several hours, which could potentially affect our bodies negatively. Investing in an ergonomic workstation could greatly benefit your body, helping you focus more on work and avoid suffering unwanted injuries in the future. 

There are several ways you can set up an ergonomic workstation:

• Find a chair that comfortably supports your back. You should be able to sit up straight without having to strain your spinal cord. 
• Position the top of your monitor or laptop screen at eye level slightly tilted upwards. This gives you the most optimal view of your screen while refraining from straining your neck for prolonged periods.
• Position your desk at the same height as you would naturally rest your arms. Ensure that your arms are parallel to the floor or are at a 90° angle. 
• Place your keyboard directly in front of you at a slightly tilted angle. If you’re using a mouse, ensure that it is situated just an inch away from your keyboard. 
• Phones, notebooks, pens, and other stationery you usually use should be within arm’s reach to reduce awkward stretches and movements when using them. 

Following these steps will not only keep your body healthy but will also help you reach optimal performance by keeping your body free of awkward and uncomfortable positions while you work. 

#3: Take Advantage of Productivity Apps

Work-from-home arrangements have pushed many companies to shift their operations and work systems from analog to digital, making the use of online tools more necessary than before. Leveraging such applications will also allow you to communicate effectively with your colleagues.

Taking advantage of tools and applications such as Zoom, Slack, Skype, and Google Workspace, to name a few, can help produce a more seamless and productive workflow with your teammates. Such tools are also effective when you want to manage remote employees under your team.

Each application has its own set of features to help you while you work. Features such as online file storage management, dynamic note-taking, and interactive video-conferencing are useful for further maximizing your work performance. 

#4: Invest in Quality Technology

It is not enough to have a computer and an internet connection to work remotely with ease. Being aware of the system requirements for work will be the difference between a stressful and enjoyable WFH experience. 

In general, the minimum system requirements for remote employees are:

• Intel Core i3 and i5 processor or AMD Ryzen 5 or 7 processor
• 256GB-512GB SSD or 1TB to 2TB hard drive
• 8GB-16GB of RAM
• Low to Mid-tier Graphics Card

These specifications will vary depending on your work needs. If your work requires you to edit videos, make graphics and digital material, it is wiser to opt for a high-spec device. If your work only requires minimal performance such as research, writing, admin work, and similar, opting for low to mid-range devices is sufficient. 

#5: Remember to Take Breaks

No matter how ergonomic or perfect your workstation is set up, prolonged and static postures will negatively affect your body. Allowing yourself to take breaks in between tasks is also beneficial for your mental and physical well-being. 

Regular breaks throughout the day can also help you feel refreshed, increasing your productivity. Taking 5 to 10-minute stretches during your breaks can help reduce muscle tension and promote blood circulation after hours of sitting down. 

Improve and Maximize Your WFH Setup

Working from home can have its challenges. By taking the necessary steps to improve and maximize your resources, you can foster an enjoyable and healthy WFH setup that is beneficial to yourself and your company.