Over the past few months, I’ve shared advice on why you should give plenty of thought to your work setup, particularly if you’re working from home.
The common thread across most articles has been to find a suitable workspace — a desk in your home office or a kitchen table — and adapt it according to your needs.
Well, that’s all great but what if I told you that you could — and should — treat yourself and work from bed every once in a while?
I’ve not gone mad, just hear me out, please.
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[Read: The weirdo’s guide to WFH productivity: Sanity shower, squats, and snacks]
Peace and solitude
Open offices suck, we all know that.
Working from home, on the other hand, is great. But it can be hard to get your head down if you’re distracted by family — particularly if you’re in lockdown due to coronavirus.
Bedrooms, however, should be the one place in your home that resembles an oasis far from any possible distraction or task that will deviate your attention from a pending deadline.
Admittedly, I’m not advocating for you to WFB (work from bed) every single day of your life, but there’s no harm in doing it every now and again — provided that you have the right tools.
Get your laptop off your lap
So first thing’s first: You need a tray table for your laptop.
I invested in one from Ikea years ago and haven’t looked back — mostly because my laptop tends to overheat and because it means my back suffers way less while I’m huddled under the covers.
Don’t be tempted to use your laptop tray to put down drinks (mixing liquid and electronic devices are never a good idea and if you don’t believe me, ask Callum).
You’ll be relaxed
The whole point of working from bed is being comfortable and this, in turn, can make you feel more relaxed and productive.
Many naysayers will argue that working from bed can lead to sloppy work, but that’s not true: I’m writing this from bed and, well, it’s great!
On a more serious note, though, you will be relaxed, meaning you’re much more likely to get those creative juices flowing and come up with better ideas.
Although you probably won’t get up as much as if you were sitting at a desk all day, this doesn’t have to equate to poor work performance.
The more cushions the better
My one piece of advice is that you can never have too many cushions.
Use them to prop yourself up — heck you can even build a fort if you really need to get into the zone — or set them up wisely so they can double up as a backdrop if you get pulled into an online meeting.
The golden tip
Working from bed should be a treat.
Don’t do it every day as it’ll lose all its glory: Think of it as a quiet, secluded, glittery, fantasy land where anything is possible, where your productivity has no bounds, and your creativity is relentless.
If you do a full day working from bed, split it up into sections. Never ever eat in bed (it’s gross, and crumbs are itchy) and stay hydrated (that way, at the very least, you’ll get up to go to the loo every now and again).
Those of you heavily opposed to the idea of working from your bed, ease into it. Shower, get dressed, make the bed, and lie on top of the sheets.
This way you’re getting the best of both worlds — but I guarantee you’ll be under the covers in no time.
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