The world has shifted drastically in such a short time and a lot of people have found that their work environment is now their home environment. Working from home can be easy for some and not so easy for others – but there are tricks to make it simpler and also more sustainable. As our environmental consultants always say, sustainable lifestyles are important to the planet and our wellbeing.
We’ve gone through how to make offices more sustainable in past blogs, but today we’re going to look at six ways to convert your new office into a sustainable space – namely, your home.
1. Work in natural light
Artificial light can be a strain on the eyes and can even cause headaches in some cases – working remotely gives you a chance to take advantage of not having those pesky office lights shining down on you. Try working near a window, in your backyard or even on your balcony if you have one. You have a unique opportunity to work in great comfort and environmental consultants believe you should take advantage of the fresh air and natural light to help you concentrate more – rather than being cooped up in a stuffy room.
2. Embrace the outdoors
Natural light isn’t the only advantage of working outdoors. Depending on where you live you might get some fantastic and relaxing natural sounds that’ll really set the mood whilst working outdoors. Remember that feeling when you leave the office and the fresh breeze hits you – that’s something you can experience by working outside.
Sit on the grass with your laptop or at a table – or, if the terrain and weather allow it, take a beanbag outside. If you don’t feel like sitting outdoors or don’t have anywhere to sit then open a window and let the fresh air spread throughout your room.
3. Green up your room
We’ve spoken in great length about greening your office in the past – and now that your home is your office there’s no exception. You don’t have to make drastic changes – but small plants here and there can make a difference in the room’s ecosystem and really promote a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle. You can even use your spare time to create some shelves and put little pot plants on them to be a bit creative with it.
4. Form a schedule
Getting a routine in place is essential to keeping up productivity at home as it’s easy to get distracted when all of your favourite entertainment is within arm’s reach. You might get to sleep in more now that you can work remotely – but that doesn’t mean you should sleep until the last minute. Still set an alarm, but a bit later than what you usually would to give yourself a bit of extra rest time.
On your breaks, minimise the amount of time you spend watching tv or staring at a screen and take a walk or spend time in the backyard – our next point covers a great way you can spend your breaks in the backyard.
5. Start a veggie patch
Whether it’s in your backyard or a mini one inside, our environmental consultants think that starting a veggie patch is fantastic for several reasons. For starters, you’ll be growing your own, fresh produce that you can use for meals (which is definitely a bonus considering the current state of the world). It also gives you something to do. Hobbies are extremely important when you’re in isolation and this promotes sustainability, feeds you and is fun to do.
Once you’ve initially set-up the patch, you can water it and tend to it during your lunch breaks. This sort of routine is important and emphasises our last point about establishing a schedule.
6. Eat healthily
Make sure you keep your breakfast and lunches healthy to avoid feeling sluggish. It can be tempting to make more extravagant meals since you’re at home – but you should keep it simple as not to waste time. If you end up starting a veggie patch, then you can use ingredients from that further down the track.
In need of environmental consultants?
Our environmental consultants are still working during these uncertain times so if you need any environmental solutions, please don’t hesitate to enlist the services of Alpha Environmental. We offer all three phases of environmental site assessments as well as groundwater and soil testing services – to name a few.
If you’d like to get in touch with our consultants, then please give us a call on 1300 039 181 or contact us through our website.
