{"id":227567,"date":"2020-04-23T09:54:19","date_gmt":"2020-04-23T07:54:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/?p=227567"},"modified":"2026-06-07T12:53:24","modified_gmt":"2026-06-07T10:53:24","slug":"home-office-working-from-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/home-office-working-from-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Home Office: 10 Tips for Working from Home Effectively"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>When the pandemic hit, a huge number of people suddenly found themselves stuck at home, having to figure out fast what we freelancers and digital nomads have been perfecting for years \u2013 how to make a <strong>home office<\/strong> actually work and stay productive when working from home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A lot of people quickly realised that working from home can be far more demanding than working in an office.<\/strong> More than once you glance up and it&#8217;s already noon, you haven&#8217;t really started yet, and now you also have to sort out what you&#8217;re going to eat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;ve got kids at home on top of a partner, working from home can feel downright impossible. Instead of putting in eight focused hours, you end up sitting at the computer from morning till night and still get nothing done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>So I&#8217;ve put together a few tried-and-tested tips<\/strong> to make working from home more pleasant and help you get things done more efficiently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_83 ez-toc-wrap-left counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/home-office-working-from-home\/#Does_a_routine_belong_in_a_home_office\" >Does a routine belong in a home office?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/home-office-working-from-home\/#1_Set_up_a_work-from-home_routine\" >1) Set up a work-from-home routine<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/home-office-working-from-home\/#2_Learn_to_manage_your_time_and_priorities\" >2) Learn to manage your time and priorities<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/home-office-working-from-home\/#Basic_rules_for_working_efficiently\" >Basic rules for working efficiently<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/home-office-working-from-home\/#3_How_not_to_get_distracted_by_social_media\" >3) How not to get distracted by social media<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/home-office-working-from-home\/#My_tips_for_keeping_social_media_time_in_check\" >My tips for keeping social media time in check<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/home-office-working-from-home\/#4_How_not_to_spend_half_your_day_on_food\" >4) How not to spend half your day on food<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/home-office-working-from-home\/#How_important_is_the_environment_you_work_in\" >How important is the environment you work in?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/home-office-working-from-home\/#5_Good_lighting_is_the_most_important_thing_for_productivity\" >5) Good lighting is the most important thing for productivity<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/home-office-working-from-home\/#6_How_to_choose_a_desk_for_working_from_home\" >6) How to choose a desk for working from home<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/home-office-working-from-home\/#7_How_to_choose_a_chair_for_your_home_office\" >7) How to choose a chair for your home office<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/home-office-working-from-home\/#What_should_a_quality_chair_have\" >What should a quality chair have?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/home-office-working-from-home\/#8_How_to_force_yourself_to_sit_up_straight\" >8) How to force yourself to sit up straight<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/home-office-working-from-home\/#9_How_to_deal_with_headaches\" >9) How to deal with headaches<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/home-office-working-from-home\/#10_How_to_deal_with_back_pain\" >10) How to deal with back pain<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Does_a_routine_belong_in_a_home_office\"><\/span>Does a routine belong in a home office?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;m not sure why most people assume that working from home means you work whenever you feel like it. <strong>Those who want to be successful freelancers and digital nomads have to be strict with themselves.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They have to manage their time far better and never break their own routines. Because if you work &#8220;whenever you want&#8221;, you&#8217;ll probably find you&#8217;re busy all day yet haven&#8217;t actually finished a single task!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Set_up_a_work-from-home_routine\"><\/span>1) Set up a work-from-home routine<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>It pays to set clear boundaries around your working hours.<\/strong> Everyone does it differently. I once listened to a podcast with a woman who gets up in the morning, dresses as if she&#8217;s going to the office, walks over to her desk, and when she&#8217;s done, changes back into her home clothes. It helps her mark out the time when she&#8217;s working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Luk\u00e1\u0161 and I, on the other hand, have a clean-desk routine.<\/strong> That means when we finish work, we tidy up our workspace. We pack the laptops away into their bags, even though we know we&#8217;ll pull them out onto the exact same spot the next day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then we go and do some exercise, and that marks the end of the working day. <strong>I work out<\/strong> regularly between five and six o&#8217;clock <strong>every single day.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/www.loudavymkrokem.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/pravidelne-prochazky.jpg\" alt=\"Regular walks\" class=\"wp-image-56668\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Regular walks are extremely important<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Learn_to_manage_your_time_and_priorities\"><\/span>2) Learn to manage your time and priorities<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Never rely on your memory. Ever.<\/strong> In the afternoon you should walk away from your computer with a clear head, knowing you don&#8217;t need to remember anything for the next day because all your tasks are written down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Basic_rules_for_working_efficiently\"><\/span><strong>Basic rules for working efficiently<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Write down your ideas and tasks<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Deal with your inbox every day, don&#8217;t put it off<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Set your main goals for each day<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Always work on one task at a time, never several at once<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keep simple to-do lists<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>There are countless methods, techniques and systems for staying on top of your tasks and projects. Dive into productivity books and you&#8217;ll find thousands of them. <strong>The most important thing, though, is to find a system that works for you \u2013 not one you end up working for.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your system needs to be as simple and effective as possible. <strong>Personally, the method that works best for me is the <a class=\"thirstylink\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Bullet Journal\" href=\"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/doporucujeme\/bullet-journal\/\" data-shortcode=\"true\">Bullet Journal<\/a><\/strong>, where I keep all my projects and my daily agenda. It&#8217;s so wonderfully simple that I was able to start using it overnight. Alongside the <a class=\"thirstylink\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Bullet Journal\" href=\"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/doporucujeme\/bullet-journal\/\" data-shortcode=\"true\">Bullet Journal<\/a> I also use a classic planner and the <a href=\"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/how-to-use-notion-organise-life\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Notion app<\/strong><\/a> for managing team projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>For my part, I&#8217;d recommend these books<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Getting Things Done<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <a class=\"thirstylink\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Bullet Journal\" href=\"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/doporucujeme\/bullet-journal\/\" data-shortcode=\"true\">Bullet Journal<\/a> Method<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tools of Titans<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/www.loudavymkrokem.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/prestavka-pri-praci-z-domova.jpg\" alt=\"A reward for a productive day\" class=\"wp-image-56671\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A reward for a productive day<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_How_not_to_get_distracted_by_social_media\"><\/span>3) How not to get distracted by social media<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Almost everyone is horrified when their phone&#8217;s screen-time stats reveal how many hours a day they actually spend on Instagram.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More than 2 hours is a lot, even if you manage social media for a living. I average around 1.5 hours, and that&#8217;s part of my job (as a social media manager). <strong>My friends who don&#8217;t work in social media routinely spend 5 hours a day on Instagram.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It doesn&#8217;t matter what you do in your free time, but if you feel like social media is creeping into your working hours, it&#8217;s time to do something about it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"My_tips_for_keeping_social_media_time_in_check\"><\/span><strong>My tips for keeping social media time in check<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>During the day I don&#8217;t keep my phone next to the computer or within arm&#8217;s reach.<\/strong> Yes, if someone calls, I simply get up and walk over to it. It&#8217;s good for your body. Try putting it a few steps away from your computer and you might be surprised how strong the urge is to keep picking it up.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>I have a clearly set time when I go on social media.<\/strong> When I do, I don&#8217;t feel guilty \u2013 I go there to read something, have a laugh, reply to messages.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>If I need social media for work, I try to use management tools as much as possible<\/strong> \u2013 for example <a href=\"https:\/\/business.facebook.com\/creatorstudio\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Facebook Creator Studio<\/a>, where I schedule posts for Facebook and Instagram. So I usually only open Instagram itself to plan Instagram Stories, and I&#8217;m very careful not to drift off onto my own feed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Being productive often takes a big dose of self-control.<\/strong> But I always remind myself that technology should serve us, not the other way around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Thanks to the way I treat technology and social media, I have plenty of time for offline activities and I handle my work comfortably.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The first step to solving a problem is admitting you have one.<\/strong> If you know this is an issue for you, I&#8217;d recommend reading the book Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/www.loudavymkrokem.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/digitalni-minimalismus-1.jpg\" alt=\"Digital minimalism\" class=\"wp-image-56670\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">My little corner where I take long phone calls<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_How_not_to_spend_half_your_day_on_food\"><\/span>4) How not to spend half your day on food<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It sounds amusing at first glance, but this is one of the things we constantly struggled with at home. <strong>Last year we realised we were often spending 2\u20133 hours a day cooking and eating.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s because we&#8217;d first argue about what to cook. Then about which ingredients we were missing and what we could actually make, and finally about which of us would do the cooking. <strong>These days we&#8217;ve got it sorted.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To avoid discovering halfway through that we don&#8217;t have the ingredients for a meal, <strong>we plan our menu a week in advance<\/strong>. On Sunday we order a whole week&#8217;s worth of groceries for online delivery (we use a service similar to a local supermarket&#8217;s delivery) or pop out to do the shopping ourselves. Then Luk\u00e1\u0161 and I take turns cooking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When we&#8217;re swamped with work, we usually sort it out with a food delivery app like <strong>Uber Eats, Deliveroo<\/strong> or <strong>Just Eat<\/strong>. If Luk\u00e1\u0161 is away, I&#8217;ll grab a healthy ready-made meal for lunch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_important_is_the_environment_you_work_in\"><\/span><strong>How important is the environment you work in?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>For my part, I can honestly say that a pleasant working environment is the single most important thing for me<\/strong>, though for a long time I tried to convince myself it didn&#8217;t really matter where I worked from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When I look back at my <a class=\"thirstylink\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Bullet Journal\" href=\"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/doporucujeme\/bullet-journal\/\" data-shortcode=\"true\">Bullet Journal<\/a> and planner from this year and compare two weeks in Portugal with two weeks in Spain, I see an incredible difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>In Portugal, according to my <a class=\"thirstylink\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Bullet Journal\" href=\"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/doporucujeme\/bullet-journal\/\" data-shortcode=\"true\">Bullet Journal<\/a>, I was getting through 10 tasks a day and still had time left for my favourite activities<\/strong>, like morning yoga on the rooftop or trips to the beach. We managed to cook for ourselves and watch our favourite series too. <strong>In Spain, though, you can see something was off<\/strong> \u2013 sometimes there are no entries at all and I was only getting through 2\u20133 tasks a day. We didn&#8217;t go on many trips either, and we ordered takeaway far more often.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What made such a difference? The working environment.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/www.loudavymkrokem.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/pracovni-prostredi-home-office.jpg\" alt=\"Home office working environment\" class=\"wp-image-56669\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A home office working environment<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Our little house in Portugal was made for working. It was beautifully bright, with very comfortable chairs and a great desk, while also being a lovely place to relax. We genuinely enjoyed spending time there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Our flat in Spain<\/strong> wasn&#8217;t bad as such, but <strong>it was much darker<\/strong>, <strong>with very uncomfortable chairs and a wobbly table<\/strong>. The furnishings were older and it was harder to unwind there \u2013 we much preferred being out and about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Why am I telling you all this?<\/strong> Because to work effectively from home, you need to create a workspace where you actually feel good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Good_lighting_is_the_most_important_thing_for_productivity\"><\/span>5) Good lighting is the most important thing for productivity<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It might sound trivial, but <strong>the single most important thing everyone should sort out at home is lighting.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s well established that <strong>poor lighting while you work is linked to negative effects on both our mental and physical health<\/strong> \u2013 things like eye strain, headaches, fatigue, as well as stress and anxiety in the work environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Numerous studies have shown that <strong>the right lighting can boost productivity and improve our mood<\/strong> <em>(you can read more about how light affects mood <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4507869\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a>).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.loudavymkrokem.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/cirkadianni-rytmus.jpg\" alt=\"circadian rhythm\" class=\"wp-image-56658\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">circadian rhythm<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>We should try to light our homes throughout the day in a way that supports our circadian rhythm.<\/strong> Daylight is best for working, so you should work in the brightest room in your home, ideally near a window. But what if you don&#8217;t have that option or your windows are small?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The best solution is bulbs that simulate sunlight as closely as possible.<\/strong> For darker rooms, get a &#8220;sun-style&#8221; light fitting that mimics natural daylight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For our flat we chose <a href=\"https:\/\/www.philips-hue.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">smart bulbs<\/a> from Philips, which can be set so the light intensity gradually changes as the day progresses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Philips app has presets for reading and concentration, and you can even switch on lights designed to energise you.<\/strong> The idea that light supports work and learning is backed by research too \u2013 several universities have spent years studying the effect of lighting on students&#8217; performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Although Luk\u00e1\u0161 and I live in a very bright flat with one entirely glass wall, some days \u2013 especially in winter \u2013 it gets pretty dark in here too.<\/strong> On top of that, smart bulbs are absolutely ideal for the evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the past year we only used candles in the evening for the sake of good sleep hygiene, but smart bulbs adapt and give off only a soft, dimmed light in the evening, so they don&#8217;t disrupt your wind-down before sleep. <strong>Proper sleep hygiene and quality sleep are crucial for your productivity and creativity.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The light source you choose matters too.<\/strong> During the day you should rely on overhead ceiling lighting, which is best for working from home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Towards the evening you should switch to spot lighting<\/strong> from lamps (we got ourselves a nice floor lamp). In the evening, light should ideally come from below \u2013 we haven&#8217;t quite cracked that yet, but we use lanterns for it. And if you want to give a space a unique sparkle and a touch of elegance, go for crystal lamps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>I&#8217;d recommend reading this book on the topic:<\/strong> Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_How_to_choose_a_desk_for_working_from_home\"><\/span>6) How to choose a desk for working from home<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For us women, design matters; for men, it&#8217;s all about function. <strong>To pick the right desk for work, you&#8217;ll need to combine both approaches.<\/strong> The look of the desk will carry different weight for everyone, but if you care about how things in your home look, don&#8217;t lower your standards. You might just have to search a little longer. <strong>You should feel good even while you work.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>At the same time, you should never buy a work desk based on looks alone.<\/strong> What matters is that your legs fit comfortably underneath and the work surface is wide enough to hold everything you need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Luk\u00e1\u0161 and I usually have so much stuff on the desk that instead of two separate work desks we got one enormous dining table.<\/strong> At least that leaves room in the flat for the piano and a vanity table. It also forces us to keep up our daily routine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"630\" src=\"https:\/\/www.loudavymkrokem.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/prace-z-domova.jpg\" alt=\"Working from home\" class=\"wp-image-56666\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Our work and relaxation space<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7_How_to_choose_a_chair_for_your_home_office\"><\/span>7) How to choose a chair for your home office<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>If you work 40 hours a week, you&#8217;ll spend roughly 1,900 hours a year sitting.<\/strong> Anyone setting up a home office shouldn&#8217;t be afraid to invest in a quality chair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s one of the things I&#8217;m honestly looking forward to once Luk\u00e1\u0161 and I move into a house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_should_a_quality_chair_have\"><\/span>What should a quality chair have?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Lower back support<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Plenty of adjustable parts<\/strong> \u2013 everybody is different, so a quality office chair has anywhere from 5 (up to 14) different parts you can adjust and customise<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Breathable material<\/strong> \u2013 definitely avoid anything that is or looks like leather. On a chair like that you&#8217;ll at least end up with a sweaty backside in summer, and at worst you&#8217;ll break out in a rash. Go for a material that breathes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>TIP:<\/strong> Don&#8217;t underestimate how you light your work corner at home \u2013 good task lighting makes a real difference to how comfortably you work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"8_How_to_force_yourself_to_sit_up_straight\"><\/span>8) How to force yourself to sit up straight<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>If you ask me about one thing I&#8217;d invest in right from the start, I&#8217;d recommend a laptop stand.<\/strong> These stands are especially popular among digital nomads, but I think anyone who works on a laptop should use one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We both have <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.base12official.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">BASE12 stands<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We digital nomads love the freedom that working from a laptop brings, but <strong>our backs can&#8217;t stand laptops<\/strong>. Working on a laptop forces us to hunch over the screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Raising the laptop screen to eye level not only forces you to sit up straight, it also reduces eye strain and headaches.<\/strong> Having the laptop elevated also means it overheats noticeably less \u2013 something anyone who edits video or photos at work will appreciate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>With a stand you&#8217;ll also need an external mouse and keyboard.<\/strong> I bought a matching set. The stand is designed for digital nomads, so it weighs next to nothing. You will need a bit more desk space, though, so keep that in mind if you&#8217;re also buying a desk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"9_How_to_deal_with_headaches\"><\/span>9) How to deal with headaches<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>When I was dealing with a crisis over the past few months and had to work 14 hours a day, I had unbearable headaches.<\/strong> I&#8217;m used to headaches \u2013 I get them from the computer all the time \u2013 but this was so bad that if I hadn&#8217;t known it was screen-related, I might have started worrying about my health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It got to the point where I&#8217;d look at the monitor in the morning and the pain would hit instantly. So we finally made an investment Luk\u00e1\u0161 and I had been mulling over for ages: we bought <strong>computer glasses<\/strong> that block blue light. <strong>Since I started wearing them, I haven&#8217;t had a single headache!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For everyday wear I use GUNNAR Gunmetal with clear lenses (they block 30% of blue light), and for the evening GUNNAR Gunmetal with amber lenses (blocking 70% of light). Luk\u00e1\u0161 went for <a class=\"thirstylink\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"dev1s cyclops\" href=\"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/doporucujeme\/dev1s-cyclops\/\" data-shortcode=\"true\">DEV1S Cyclops<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"10_How_to_deal_with_back_pain\"><\/span>10) How to deal with back pain<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Working from home often means you don&#8217;t budge from the house all day.<\/strong> Especially if you don&#8217;t have a dog, the weather&#8217;s miserable, and there&#8217;s food in the fridge. But humans aren&#8217;t built to sit around all day, and it&#8217;s not good for our bodies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Even though it might feel like it&#8217;s doing you no harm, the problems can show up six months or a year later.<\/strong> And then they hit you hard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>That&#8217;s why I recommend making movement a mandatory part of your working day.<\/strong> We go for three 30-minute walks a day, and around midday we do yoga or some other workout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re into yoga, I recommend the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.downdogapp.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Down Dog<\/a> app, which Luk\u00e1\u0161 and I have been using for a year and a half now. You can choose the length of your session and which body part you want to work on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I know some of you are thinking that walks are a waste of time. But did you know that plenty of successful entrepreneurs, like Steve Jobs, used to go for walks because a stroll in the fresh air stimulates ideas?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>For my part, I can say that our walks not only clear our heads, but I often come up with solutions to problems<\/strong> I&#8217;d been wrestling with for hours.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The ultimate guide to staying productive while working from home.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":56670,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","rank_math_title":"Home Office: 10 Tips to Work from Home Better","rank_math_description":"Home office not working out? Discover 10 proven tips on lighting, desks, routines and gear to work from home productively. Read the full guide now!","rank_math_focus_keyword":"home office","rank_math_seo_score":""},"categories":[682],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-227567","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-self-development"},"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/digitalni-minimalismus-1.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Lucie Kone\u010dn\u00e1","author_link":"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/author\/lucie-konecna\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227567","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=227567"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227567\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":227695,"href":"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227567\/revisions\/227695"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56670"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=227567"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=227567"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=227567"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}