Working at Home

20.03.2020

Working from home was initially met with scepticism and introduced hesitantly here and there but now it’s become reality in the majority of German companies. Up until recently, lots of employees wanted this flexible solution, but the Corona virus has now made it compulsory. But how do you furnish a new office environment? How can you be productive and switch off properly too? What are the pitfalls? And what solutions really help when working from home? We have five basic tips, some practical items of furniture and an app, all of which keep your body and mind alert and let you wind down once the working day is done.

An Aline chair at home: Wilkhahn’s Aline task chair is a lightweight, stylish but ergonomic option. Here it’s paired with an Aline table, which is also available in a compact size of 140 cm x 70 cm. Photo: Wilkhahn
The classy Aline chair turns a kitchen-cum-dining room into a workspace that offers surprisingly superior comfort. Photo: Wilkhahn

1. Keep work and downtime separate

Just because nobody’s watching you work you should still feel like a pro when working from home. Keep to a set routine, dress as if you were heading for the office or perhaps go for a stroll to set a boundary between what’s downtime and what’s work. A successful architect who was a fan of working from home once said that his office was his suit.

 

2. Find somewhere you can focus

From now on, your desk will be your office and it should be organised to reflect that. What if you don’t have a desk? We have a few space-saving ideas such as our mAx table or Timetable. When flipped up, one of them needs just a little more space than an ironing board and when the other one’s flipped up, it can be placed compactly next to the wall or in a storage room. They both come in colours and surfaces to match your interior. What if you don’t need a flip-top version? Then our narrow Aline, measuring 140 cm x 70 cm, fits neatly into any corner. Or is it a “proper” table that you want? Thanks to its organic design, Occo is ideal as a table to eat or work at.

 

3. Set clear rules

Ask your employers what they expect. When should e-mails be answered? What’s the arrangement for call forwarding during breaks? Can you decide when you want to work or are core periods specified? The clearer these requirements are, the more relaxed your day will be. After all, ambiguity is one of the main courses of anxiety and stress.

Staying ON the ball: Wilkhahn’s free-to-move ON chair keeps you moving intuitively even when you’re working from home. Photo: Wilkhahn

4. Keep moving even when sitting down

This is all the more important when working from home because it’s a more confined space and you’re therefore not as physically active. With its free-to-move chairs, Wilkhahn has made sitting comparable to walking. In this case, patented technology ensures that even the slightest shifts in weight are translated into movements that keep joints and muscles active. Choose the prize-winning ON chair as the classic version of our free-to-move models in a version with the sort of appeal that won’t look out of place in homes because it comes in contoured upholstery and a felt-like fabric called Blend. Similarly dynamic but more compact is our AT chair. Its attractive back makes it ideal for a desk in the corner or a small study or spare room. Aline is even more refined. This transparent and height-adjustable task chair has no synchro-adjustment mechanism but its elasticity allows users to change posture and be very comfortable at the same time. Its understated look makes it an unobtrusive companion to other furniture.

Working AT home: Motion-promoting, with a home-like appeal and child’s play to adjust – the AT office chair to match the Occo range of chairs and dining table, which can also be used as a temporary desk. Photo: Wilkhahn

5. Take proper breaks

When you sit on a Wilkhahn free-to-move chair, you and your metabolism keep moving all day long. And if there’s no alternative to working on a kitchen or dining room chair, Stand-up ensures you take physically active breaks. It fits into any corner and even children can have fun with it. Even so, it’s still important to get some fresh air. Let’s face it, taking a walk makes us feel better than checking our supplies of pasta or toilet roll. Why not make some phone calls while out and about as long as that’s still possible?

Swing your hips and let your mind wander: Wilkhahn’s one-leg Stand-up stool, designed by Thorsten Franck, is fun and fits into any corner. Photo: Wilkhahn

I’m interested in hearing about Wilkhahn’s furniture for home workers. Please contact us!

Wilkening + Hahne GmbH+Co.KG
Fritz-Hahne-Straße 8 D-31848
Bad Münder Telefon:
+49 5042 999-0
Email-Contact:

 

Or win one of ten Stand-ups in our sweepstake. Click here to enter the sweepstake.

 

Perhaps the weather’s awful or lockdown has been ordered or you’re in quarantine? We’ve developed an app with simple and effective exercises to encourage people to move and give their backs a break. It’s called the Wilkhahn Office Workout and you can download it free of charge here.

We’d like to wish you all the best and stay healthy.

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