7 Hacks to Improve Productivity Working from Home
It's been almost 6 months since the first reported COVID case in the United States and a shutdown that will go down in history. Now we may not like it, we may even be resisting it, but working from home IS our current reality.
The once unimaginable Zoom conferences and virtual strategy meetings are now just another day "in the office". With each day feeling a little like ground hog's day, working from home is associated with different challenges that we must face in order to stay productive, comfortable and motivated.
Speaking of office, have you stepped back to look and think about how your home office setting may be helping or hurting your productivity?
Below are our top 7 hacks to improve productivity in your home office setting. All are designed to increase brain activation and reduce mental fatigue.
WFH Hack #1 - Blue light filter for laptop (Free!)
The significant amount of time staring at screens is known to contribute to digital eye strain causing mental fatigue. The often-debilitating symptoms of digital eye strain include; headaches, sore eyes, sore neck, double vision, extreme fatigue, difficulty to keep your eyes open and an inability to concentrate.
Adding a simple blue light filter onto your laptop (and phone) may be a simple solution.
Check out f.lux which is free and easy to install. You can set it on a timer and control the level of amber filter you want to add. After using f.lux or another blue light filter you'll quickly notice how jarring the blue light of electronics is!
WFH Hack #2 - Laptop Stand by Sproga ($125)
Stand up desks are all the craze and you may be thinking "I know I know, sitting is bad for me!". But maybe you aren't in the market for or don't have the space for a stand up desk such as VariDesk
The laptop stand by Sproga is a simple to use platform to go from seated to standing with no effort. Until we actually stop and look at the ergonomic set up of our home office, we may not realize our poor posture and unnecessary stress that is being place on our body.
The neck is a big one! When you look down at a computer (especially for long hours) you actually interfere with blood flow to the brain. Without oxygen it's going to be really hard to keep your focus!
WFH Hack #3 - Air Chair by Venn Design ($299)
Movement stimulates the brain. Period. That means the more sedentary of static you are in your WFH set up the more the brain has a chance to get sleeping and go offline.
Similar to a physioball (but this actually looks like furniture) this air chair keeps your nervous system stimulated through the instability of the ball. Need an extra pick me up, I'll take workout breaks on the ball and do a few ab exercises between calls. Nothing like exercise to combat a tired brain.
WFH Hack #4 - Standing Mat by Naboso ($55)
An often overlooked aspect of brain stimulation is touch. Touch, especially by our feet and hands, is cholinergic - which means it's brain awakening. The textured, two-point discrimination Standing Mat by Naboso is unlike any other standing desk mat.
Providing sensory stimulation to the nervous system this mat not only keeps the brain awake, but also keeps the feet awake when standing! One of the biggest health risks of standing desks is foot pain!
Don't have a standing desk? No problem. You can still put the Standing Mat under your feet when seating and will still bring in the powerful sensory stimulation to keep the brain ready and focused. Don't believe it's that powerful? 30 day risk free trial on all Naboso products!
WFH Hack #5 - Binaural Beats Playlist (Free!)
Binaural beats are a tone created in the brain when it’s presented with two different frequencies at the same time.
The state of your brain directly affects how well you perform activities and process information. If you are working on a deadline and working to become more focused and productive, you can use binaural beats to change the state of your brain.
To get the most out of binaural beats you want to listen with headphones especially those that do stereo sound and make sure you choose the correct frequency. Alpha waves are associated with focus, concentration and productivity.
WFH Hack #6 - Work Near Sunlight (Free!)
I love the sun, it's one of the reasons why I moved to Arizona! Did you kimono that moving your office near natural light can greatly impact your productivity?
According to a 2011 study at the University of Oregon, the quality of the view from a person’s desk and their exposure to natural light are interconnected with the amount of sick time they take. In the study, those who had nice views of the outside and received a decent amount of sunlight took 6.5 percent less sick leave than others.
Don't have an area in your home near a window? When you are feeling tired and like you are losing focus, step outside and take a natural light break. You'd be amazing how well a simple walk around the block can recharge you!
WFH Hack # 7 - RAD Rounds by RAD Roller ($16)
Between standing at your desk, walking around the "office" and typing all day, the small muscles of our hands and feet are definitely working over time! By simply integrating a myofascial release to the hands and feet throughout the day you are not only releasing tight muscles, but also stimulating the brain!
See WFH #4 for the reminder that touch is stimulating. This touch also includes release techniques. Every hour you can alternate rolling your foot on the RAD Rounds or rolling your hands on the Mini when you are on a Zoom call and typing isn't required.
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Do you have any other favorite WFH hacks you wanted to share? Post them on Instagram and tag @Naboso_technology and #wfhhacks
In health,
Dr Splichal
CEO & Founder Naboso