Plan Ahead of COVID with These Office Comfort 'Hacks'

Although it may sound privileged to say this in the midst of a disaster like COVID: this public health crisis won’t last forever. We will be heading back to the office at some point. And while we’ve already shared some great ways to keep comfortable and professional while working from home, a wise employer will be thinking about how jarring it may be for employees who just got used to working remotely to return to the office.

With that in mind, today we’re sharing some office comfort hacks from realsimple.com — keep these in mind for when all of this blows over and your employees are making the transition back to the office (or if you are in fact one of those employees!):

Customizing a seated stance

“Holding the same seated position all day can lead to lower-back discomfort; if possible, unlock your chair’s backrest and loosen the tension so you can shift your posture frequently,” realsimple.com suggests. If possible, you want to keep your thighs parallel with the floor.

Beautifying your spaces

Using plants to create a barrier from the rest of the office isn’t a far flung idea. Spider plants, dragon trees, and snake plants all thrive indoors and are large enough to physically change the air quality around your desk.

Maintaining air quality

“Consider investing in a gadget like the LG Puricare Mini Air Purifier, which also checks surrounding air quality through a Bluetooth companion app,” realsimple.com suggests.

Invest in circadian lighting

“Human-centered lighting,” as it is also called, stresses the idea that humans have evolved to expect warmer lighting temperatures in the morning and evening, and whiter, “bluer” lighting conditions midday, following the “sunrise, sunset” hues we typically see in the sky around those times.

While this pathway to office comfort requires an AV or a lighting specialist, there are far more expensive systems an office could consider.

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