To help make working from home a bit more seamless we’ve put together a handy list of tech solutions to help achieve a better work/home life balance (not always easy when you work from home), as well as some invaluable advice on what you can do to improve your current tech:

Tech that does the housework while you work
Robot vacuum cleaners allow you to get on with your work while they clean up. A great option for a time crunched household. There are a range of machines available at various price points.

Block out the background noise
Noise distractions can really affect your productivity making noise cancelling headphones a great option if you work from home (or a busy office).

Invest in a laptop stand
If you’ve been working on your laptop for prolonged periods of time while sitting on the sofa the chances are you’ve experienced that all too familiar pain associated with neck strain. It’s a common complaint but is easy to remedy with an inexpensive laptop stand. The stand will improve your posture as you work from your laptop as well as helping to keep your device cooler by allowing better airflow.

Ergonomic wireless mouse and keyboard
Working on a laptop is fine for small amounts of time but the trackpad and keyboard are really not ergonomic so we’d recommend a wireless mouse and keyboard if you’re going to be working from home more regularly.

Buy a separate webcam
The standard cameras that are installed in laptops don’t really cut the mustard for office video calls so you might want to get a standalone webcam. It will give a better picture as well as being much easier to position just where you want it rather than trying to mess about with the angle and position of your laptop.

Check your internet is up to scratch
If you’re going to be working from home you really need to make sure your broadband and Wi-Fi are up to the job. Make sure the firmware for your router is up to date and if your router is old, you should consider an upgrade.

Backup your data
Make sure you store your data securely with an external hard drive or to the cloud.

Install Anti-Virus software
Make sure it’s turned on and up to date and ensure that your operating system is the latest version.

Always remember to take regular breaks when working from home and set yourself a finish time (and try to stick to it). Contact File Genie for support, repairs, or advice with your home office tech.

Many of you have been working from home for the first time and may not have a proper office desk set up. Over time, this may well be negatively affecting your posture and lead to pain in your back and neck and even trigger headaches.

Here are a few tips using household items to prevent such things:

1. Sit in a supportive chair. Don’t be tempted to sit in a low lounge chair or settee. Your hips and knees should both be at right angles and your back supported. Don’t perch or lean forward.
2. Don’t spend more than 20-30 mins working on a laptop on your lap. It is better to work on a table and if you have it with a wi-fi remote keyboard and mouse. This will allow you to place the laptop on several books or a box until the screen is level with your eyes and far enough or close enough for you to be able to focus on the screen easily. Looking down at a screen will strain your neck muscles and a combination of glasses and strange screen angles can lead to eye strain and headache.
3. Every 30 mins take a posture break. Stand up, do a star stretch, looking up as you do it and take a deep breath in. This will help your joints and get oxygen circulating, helping both your mood and your concentration.
4. Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water at least 2lt. It is easy to get engrossed in what you are doing and forget all about you.
5. I hope you find this useful. If you need help with neck, back, joint pain or headaches during lockdown or indeed after please don’t hesitate to contact me. There is much advice I can share to help you through.

 
Bridget Bath, Doctor of Chiropractic, Greenacres Chiropractic Centre, Glinton