Make Your Home Office Healthier, Pleasanter And More Productive

About a third of all employed Australians regularly work from home, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics fi gures. With some forethought, planning and knowledge, it’s possible to turn a chaotic, sterile and OH&S-unfriendly home office into a healthier, pleasanter and more productive space.

- Linda Moon

Rife with electromagnetic radiation (EMR) from our tech, printer fumes, LED screens, artificial lighting and overconditioned air, the typical office can be an unhealthy zone, contributing to our sedentary behaviour and its related health issues from sore backs to weight gain. The home office has extra challenges, such as an intrinsic lack of boundary from domestic life. On the upside, you can modify it.

Create your own space

Anthony Ashworth, a holistic interior and building designer and Vastu, Zen and feng shui design expert, has been helping people reimagine their homes and workplaces for over 30 years. He says the first step is to create a dedicated space for working from home as opposed to working off the dining table. This allows you to better control the environment including factors like privacy, noise and distractions such as pets.

Sit-stand desks

The two most important items in a health aware home office are a good ergonomic desk and chair, Ashworth says: “Ergonomics is a boring, scary word for many people, but it’s important.” A good ergonomic desk is one that’s heightadjustable so you can stand up as well as sit down, he says: “We’re not designed to sit for long hours of time.” The latest research shows prolonged sitting down is hazardous to our health.

Working from a sit-stand desk (versus the traditional chair-bound type) is linked with better work performance and engagement and less fatigue, anxiety and lower-back issues, say numerous studies including a 2018 one by the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust in the UK. Other studies have found them better for weight loss and muscle tone.