Is Sitting in Your Office Making You Sick?

March 22, 2018 by Suzanne Lasky

Below is a guest post on the subject of how sitting at a desk doing office work is potentially doing us harm. We all are spending increasing amounts of time seated looking at a computer screen for work and for ‘fun’. The author is recommending the proper desk chair to align our bodies and avoid some of the harmful issues. I am going to take it a step beyond it and say- GET UP AND GO OUTSIDE EVEN IF IT IS ONLY FOR 5 MINUTES AT A TIME. Natural light and outdoor air and a quick walk will do wonders —-Oh, and leave your phone inside !

7 Ways Your Office Job Is Destroying Your Body

You love your work and your work loves you back. That would be the most ideal situation, won’t it? However, even if you love your work – the sedentary posture, stressful working conditions and the long hours you put in could be killing your health and body.

If you are aware and choose to ignore that would entirely be your personal decision. Still, we would recommend you immediately start following a healthy regime for your body sake.

If you are unaware and naive about how your office is destroying your health then you need to be made conscious about it. So here we top 7 ways your office is destroying your body’s physical as well as mental well-being along with possible remedies.

The Biggest – Sitting At Your Desk All Day

The biggest hurt that your body sustains every day is the prolonged sitting work. These lengthy periods of sitting posture is a terrible thing for your body with aches and pains being common.

These seemingly normal pains and aches is a reason that could lead to an early death. Other risks of lengthy sitting periods could lead to muscular skeletal disorders, obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease and more. Even regular work out isn’t a remedy for this habit.

Furthermore is slouching which is even worse

Are you sitting all day long in front of a device in a slouching posture? And you aren’t bothered to straighten it? Well then you are inviting pool of chronic, long-term ailments — including arthritis and bursitis.

Chances Of Physical Hurt Are High

A treadmill desk is a great way to avoid the risk of obesity and heart disease. And if you have one then you could also be prone to a lot of typos while typing. Also, you might also tend to fall often, more than your sit on a chair. So you need to choose your working accessories carefully, especially chairs like the cheap office chairs Singapore and ensure they do more help than harm.

Way too much light while working

Exposure to over-illumination while working is roots to many eye related woes, most common being headaches often even every day. Scientifically over-illumination is taken as total darkness by our bodies. This messes massively with our body’s internal clocks starting increased fatigue, stress, high blood pressure and an increased risk of certain carcinomas.

Bad air quality in your building

There’s a term called “Sick Building Syndrome” which could be affecting your health. This syndrome deals with the quality of air circulating inside your building which can be can be up to 100 times dirtier than outside.

Besides, the dirt the air is also contaminated with unhealthy gases and chemicals. You unknowingly fight the menace of pollutants in the air conditioning and toxic particles. If that was all you have absolutely no idea that there are also dangerous bacteria and mold around and more common in for a buildings that isn’t well kept.

Over-exposure to printers and photocopiers

If the filter of Photocopiers isn’t changed regularly it can be the source to deadly ozone and even small amounts can cause chest pain and irritation. In fact, even the laser printers can harm your health with the toner particles that can affect your lungs and blood stream. This in turn could be the reason for lung disease and other ailments.

Working for over 10 hours per day

According to European researchers people working 10 hours or more every day have a “60 percent greater risk of a multitude of cardiovascular problems, including heart attack and angina.”

Endlessly staring at a computer screen

Yes, computer screens don’t give off radiation. But the strain that eyes incur from staring over long periods of time can be detrimental for your vision and eyes. In addition you could also experience headaches and migraines often.

Author Bio:

Tom Jennings is a content executive at primero who is binging on Netflix series and food when not expelling some wisdom. Catch his words, he loves playing with them.

Cabinets: Basic Thoughts

September 22, 2017 by Suzanne Lasky

S Interior Design is often asked to host guest blog articles. Our standard criteria for accepting a guest post is that it will provide useful information for our readers. The guest posting below is from a writer in Australia (I always get a kick out of the different terminology used in countries other than the U.S. :)). It contains some very basic information about cabinetry types that can be used throughout a home. An analogy I have used is that you cannot successfully play a sport without the proper equipment, and you cannot be organized in your home without the proper spaces to store your things. CABINETS are the key ingredient to having an organized home.

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9 Tips To Create A Home Office You’ll Actually Want To Work In

June 29, 2016 by Suzanne Lasky

When I saw the title to this post we were being asked to share with our readers I thought ‘Wow, great timing, I could use a bit of inspiration in my own home office right about now!”

Home offices can be a blessing and a curse. You get to work at home, avoid a stressful commute and really work in a space that you make your own.

At the same time, I think that if you don’t have a space that you enjoy working in, it can make you unproductive or leave you unmotivated.

So, if you are looking for some home office design ideas to make your office a dream to work in, take a look at some of my easy and fun tips to achieve a home office you will actually look forward to working in.

1. Use a Theme
I know what you might be thinking, that themes are tacky are won’t work for a home office. But let me just tell you, it’s not true. Themes can work well for an office space and give you easy design rules to follow for a beautifully put together space.

One of my personal favorite themes to use is a coastal theme. This one works particularly well in a home office because it focuses on lots of white furniture, lots of light and wooden accents.

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2. Decorate functionally
I know that looking at Pinterest is good for inspiration but don’t forget that the room needs to be workable as well.
Of course you can still choose a well-designed space but don’t forget to include practical items like a filing cabinet or lots of desk space.

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3. Embrace natural light
I think we all know that no-one wants to work in a dark and depressing space so make sure you are making the most of the natural light that you have in the room. Use white curtains or blinds to let the light through. If you want to, you could get rid of the curtains completely to make sure that you get as much light in the room as possible.

I know that this might not be possible for everyone, and if your home office is lacking in natural or direct sunlight, you can achieve a similar effect if you add lamps to your home office. It’s not quite the same as the real thing, but goes a long way to helping you create a bright and airy home office.

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4. Add comfortable elements
Adding a lounge chair or armchair can be a great way to relax when you need to read over some papers or simply just want a break from your desk.This is particularly important because it means that when you want to sit somewhere comfortable you don’t need to leave your office and you remain in work mode.

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5. Optimize Storage
When it comes to storage you need to really make the most of the space you have with an organized and efficient storage system. Make sure that you have a place for everything and that everything goes back into its place.

Before you take on this task I would recommend making sure you have all the files, boxes and storage items you need to efficiently organize your office.

6. Green Touches
This is one of my favorite tips, as not only does adding plants improve the air quality of the room, it also gives the room a fresher and more alive feeling.
If you want to keep your home office closed on the weekends, keep in mind that you need to choose plants that don’t need watering all the time.

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7. Personalize
I love to personalize my house with photos of friends and family, and a home office should be no exception. Use photos and mementos of friends, family and good times to personalize your office space and add a familiar touch.

Don’t forget to rotate them so they don’t get too boring and familiar.

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8. Keep it clutter free
This might seem like one of the most obvious tips for creating a home office that you actually want to work in, but I think it’s one of the most important.
Keeping it organized and tidy can really help you work better but also keeps your motivated to work there, no one wants to work in a messy office.

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9. Stock up
This one is an easy one to follow but makes all the difference. Making sure you have all the things when you need makes sure that you are efficient use of your time and you aren’t having to run out to the store all the time.

This also has the added advantage of being able to make use of bulk discounts, ultimately saving you money which is never a bad thing!

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So there you have it, some easy tips to make the most of your home office space. If you are looking for ways to create a home office that you actually want to work in, give one of these ideas a go and I promise you will be loving your home office in no time.

Hannah Hutchinson
Being passionate about beautiful interiors and architecture, I also have recently begun to write and contribute to this knowledge ecosystem. I strongly believe that the place we create around us has a strong influence on our personal well-being. Follow me for my inspirations and musings at @hannahhutch5 and Pinterest.

Tips to Optimize Your Office Space

March 28, 2016 by Suzanne Lasky

Below is a guest post on the subject of how to optimize your office space to enhance productivity and the overall feeling in the office for employees. Choices and flexibility are two key words to keep in mind. Gone are the days of endless closed off cubicles and poor lighting. Spaces designed to encourage collaboration and social interaction are important elements to include. More and more time is spent at work and the environment needs to support this reality.

Design tips to keep workers engaged and get the most out of your office space

The office space is one of the most important parts of your workplace, designing it correctly is instrumental to maximizing productivity and ensures your staff is happy. The better the environment for your staff the higher the rate of loyalty and the less likely there will be any issues regarding staff turnover. The following design tips will ensure your employees are well motivated and fully engaged:

Wiring

The first step to a productive office is to get the wires out of sight. Wires everywhere can make a room look cluttered and this can be distracting when you are trying to focus on a job in hand. There are also risks concerning trips and spills when cables are left exposed. There are many desks designed with specific areas to hide cables in or electrical trunking can be used.

Outdoors

The outside can be brought inside by adding a few plants and reclaimed wood walls or even artworks. These items will help to make the office feel more natural and user friendly as opposed to a work station. This has been shown to improve productivity and your employees will be a lot happier and satisfied.

Workspace

Offices are changing; there are no longer dedicated seats and computers. The portable computer has made it possible for anyone to work anywhere. This has led to offices which have benches and seating areas which can be used for working at, taking breaks or even multimedia presentations.

Flexible working arrangements and height adjustable desks are encouraging staff to make the most of their space, it can also ensure that people do not feel chained to a desk or seating position; they say change is as good as a rest!

Lounges

It is important to take regular breaks and relax in order to get the most out of your time at your workstation. To encourage this it is essential to have a place where people can relax, or talk business in a more informal atmosphere. This can make it a more enjoyable working experience.

Custom furniture

Customized furniture pieces make offices seem look original and modern. If your company loves a nicely-decorated open-space work environment, then you should invest in glass tables to welcome more light and add fluidity into the office. Glass is sleek type of material that comes in a wealth of types and models. Use it for coffee table as well, chairs, or desks, and your employees will become extremely fond of your unique sense of style.

Having a place to escape to can be essential to allow all staff the opportunity to distress and refocus their thoughts. It can also be an excellent spot for brainstorming as a more relaxed atmosphere can free the mind to make the most of the options available.

Color

Color is an essential way of both stimulating and soothing your employees. Pale colors have been associated with soothing, relaxing atmospheres whilst brighter, bolder colors are stimulating. You do not need to completely repaint the walls! Colors can be introduced through chairs and office accessories to give the office a funky, trendy feel. It has been suggested that the brighter the intensity of the color the more effect it will have on your employees, whether it is designed to stimulate or sooth.

Community tables

The community table gives all employees the chance to collaborate on ideas and to share work as well as providing a break from their regular working area. It will encourage team work in the workplace and a feeling of satisfaction which will encourage both productivity and loyalty.

Textures

Using different textures in the workplace can create a more comfortable, homely feel. This will help people to feel comfortable at work whilst they are stimulated and can even feel that they have a personal space; a home from home.

Offices are no longer set up and contained. Every item of furniture can be seen to have a variety of different uses and this can help to create a fun, exciting workplace for all employees. The more stimulating the workplace is the easier it is for people to feel productive and be willing to collaborate on projects.

By Charles Goodwin and TomFaulkner.co.uk!

Flat Packed Furniture

December 18, 2015 by Suzanne Lasky

Is FLAT a ‘4 letter word’ ?? When I received this request to share this guest post at first I was put off by the subject matter. Isn’t flat packed furniture cheap? Flat packed furniture may be a good option to consider in certain circumstances. First apartments, second homes, kids rooms, home offices are a few places that using flat packed (R.T.A.-ready to assemble) furniture may make sense. The article below shares some pros and cons to consider.

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