The rise of working from home has been less of gentle integration and more of an unprecedented boom. A study from the Office of National Statistics found in February 2022 that 84% of workers planned to carry out a mix of working in the office and at home in the future. This was even after working from home was a requirement due to world events.
With so many people shifting to this hybrid approach to the job, having the same backdrop to your workspace can get a bit repetitive. Experts have suggested that working in your bedroom during office hours can build an association between workplace productivity and stress with an environment where you’re supposed to feel comfortable. And if you’re lucky enough to have some outside space like a garden or a balcony, that can be a great alternative to your bedroom.
In this article, we’ll take you through how to make the outdoors your new office space and effectively prepare to work in it.
A space for all seasons
No matter how much we monitor what the weatherman says or the Met Office’s reports, weather can change out of nowhere in seconds. And if you’re choosing to move your work equipment into the elements, preparing for the worst can help prevent any disruptions or possible damage.
Making sure you’ve got an appropriate cover, whether it’s for shade, to prevent glare, or to stop the rain from damaging your electronics, it’s a crucial thing to have. This can be with umbrellas or even portable gazebos you can buy from many hiking shops. Similarly, with how temperatures can jump up and down, adding outdoor heaters can make it even more comfortable and encourage you to embrace the new environment. If you’re bringing any notepads or files outside, have a stable surface with some paperweights because no one wants to chase loose sheets of paper around the garden.
Plenty of plugs
Collaborative software has made working from home much easier to manage, with it seeing nearly £580m in revenue in 2022, with even further growth projected in the coming years. While this has helped make working from home much easier, it has also emphasised technology even stronger and all the drawbacks that come with it.
No one wants a laptop to die in the middle of work, so you awkwardly move to another room during a video meeting to plug yourself in. Make sure you’ve got plugs extending to your outdoor workspace so you can have your chargers on standby with less hassle. External batteries and power banks also work great if you need a quick charge on your phone or tablet.
Efficient comfort
When your workspace is prepared for the weather, and you have the electrical solutions you need, the next focus is furniture that you can work for a while remaining comfortable. Nearly 50% of workers admitted they began feeling more physical pain since working from home began. Not paying attention to how you sit can affect your body, and your work too.
If you already have chairs and a table on your balcony or in your garden, take a few minutes to look over it to see whether it’s unbalanced. A flat table and a comfortable chair are an absolute must. Otherwise, you might not have the motivation to work and build resentment toward the space you made for that purpose. Making your chair more comfortable can be as easy as using cushions to support your back and draping a blanket over the back for added comfort. Or you can take a trip to a garden or outdoor shop to test out some of the chairs to get a first-hand impression of how comfortable you are.
The best part of building your own workspace is that you can get creative, especially if you’re outdoors. If you have access to a garden space or a shed, there are plenty of projects you can use to transform it into your personal office. Plus, with the addition of decorations and even little snack bowls, you can still feel at home while ready to crack on with your day.
