Covid pandemic has completely changed the way we live.
Just when we thought the worst was over the second wave has gripped the nation and this time it seems worse than the last time.
Most office goers have been working from home ever since the pandemic started.
Even I am working from home for the past one month.
Here are some advantages and disadvantages of working from home:
Advantages of working from home
- I have peace of mind that I am relatively safe from getting infected
- I feel my productivity increases working from home
- I have a flexible schedule that allows me to work at my own pace
- No commuting saves money and time
- Better work life balance
- Good mood and more motivation to be productive
Disadvantages of working from home
- I have a young boy at home, he can be really noisy at times. This disturbs my concentration and acts as a distraction
- I have had to spend some money and get a home office setup
- I get bored at home. I have never been the one who can stay indoors for a long time.
- Phone and zoom calls cannot replace physical presence and communication
- Difficult to manage teams from home
Setting up a home office
I did not want to spend too much money on setting up a home office.
I already had a laptop so all I wanted was a desk, a chair and a light. Maybe a laptop stand.
- Desk and a chair: After doing a lot of research online I settled on this table.
Like I said I was looking for an inexpensive table. It is a sturdy table with a simple storage shelf. This product has very good reviews and it is made by a company in Chennai so it is a made in India Product. Double check.
You can go for an expensive table as well if you want there are plenty of options.
Next comes the chair. I was willing to spend a little more on the chair because proper back support is very important while working on the computer for long hours.
After researching a lot of chairs online I finally decided on this very nice chair.
I chose this chair again because it has great reviews, it is made in India and has good ergonomic lumbar support.
2. Light : I am yet to buy a light because I could not find a made in India product. Leave alone a decent one. Kindly send me a link if you know of a decent light which is amde in India.
I also did not buy a laptop stand so far but will do soon.
Some tips to set up your home office
- Set up your home office in a room with a big sliding door so that enough sunlight and air can some in. Apartments with big balconies can be very useful since you can use the outdoors as a work area too
- If you have not bought an apartment yet, try and see if you can fit a 3 plus 1 bedroom apartment in your budget. I am living in a 3 bhk currently and although i have a small family I really wish I had a dedicated home office set up. a Plus 1 will allow you that flexibility.
- A home office is an investment on yourself. I know in the above paragraph I am being a little stingy with the table but I chose a good chair. If my finances allowed, I would have bought a top of the line table and a chair.
- Have proper privacy and space at your home office. Especially if you have small kids at home. You do not want a reeat of the famous BBC incident unless you want to go viral. Make sure you have a room that can be locked. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh4f9AYRCZY
- Support your neck and eyes. The screen and your eyes should be on the same level.
- Lastly, make sure your family knows that this space is to be treated as an office. I has a really tough time convincing my wife to not disturb my setup. (My son still has an unexplainable attraction to my desk)
If you have set up a home office for yourself do share your ideas in the comments below. Mine is a pretty basic setup i knwo but over a period of time I plan to take it to another level altogether.
