Whether you’ve been a remote worker for years or found yourself plunged into it over the past year, it’s never too late to improve your at-home office. As this writer discovered, the smallest changes can make a big difference...

STAND UP

My husband has recently been setting up his office on the mantle. That is to say, the teeny ledge above the fireplace in the terrace where we live. It looks ridiculous, but he loves it. “I’m so much more alert this way,” he insists. A quick deep-dive on the research backs up my data point of one. Turns out, sitting is pretty bad for us. It’s not new information, but I was surprised to learn that some studies have compared extended sitting to smoking. The fix is standing desks, and since the mantle is taken, I’m seriously considering this one. 

GET GLOWING

I used to think ring lights were for beauty influencers and selfie-obsessives. Oh, how I have changed my tune since a friend switched her portable one for a job interview. We were having a pre-interview pow-wow, and with one switch she went from exhausted to angelic. I would go so far as to say it also wound the clock back several years too. And then I realised, I insist on low-lighting at the dinner table, and yet my work lighting is terrible. Turns out, a portable ring light is fantastic for looking less-dead on Zoom, and frankly just a confidence boost. I’m currently basking in front of this one. 

SWIG WELL

We already know how important it is to drink loads of water… and the sheer volume of coffee required to remain perky all day long. But still, I didn’t pay much attention to my vessel of choice until I experienced the JOY these retro ceramics have brought me. Who knew switching out an uninspiring coffee mug for one you really like could be a mood elevator? In this bucket of minor improvement with massive pay-off, I would also add water jugs. For a stylish swig, you simply cannot go past this chic number. 

ROLL, BABY

I was one of the many people who lied (a little) on the survey our company sent out around having an ergonomic and dedicated space for work. Sure, my dining room table ticks most of the boxes. But I don’t sit there all day long… I move to the sofa and sometimes my bed too if the house is too noisy. As a result, my back is a little sore. The literal pain caused by our WFH situations is well-documented—as is our hesitancy to complain, just in case it’s taken away from us. Enter the foam roller. Wow, that thing can get out some kinks. It takes a while to get used to the cat-like action of writhing up and down on the floor with a roller underneath you, but the relief will soon abate your concern.