What was once ‘unprecedented’ is now the new normal; over the past eighteen months, working from home has been assimilated globally by businesses big and small.
We’ve witnessed (over conference call, of course) an increasing number of companies around the world helping their employees get set up in a home office to reduce the risk of COVID-19 and keep everybody safe.
And while the world is beginning to return to normal, with it looking likely that office work might be on the cards again for many, some companies have begun to realise the benefits of remote work far outweigh those of forcing staff to attend a central office.
If you are planning to remain a remote worker or are switching to a hybrid model of working, with some time spent at home and some in the office, then setting up a home office conducive to stress-free video calling is a must.
Indeed, while we’ve all enjoyed the amusing memes and hilarious videos of home workers getting interrupted mid-call by their curious cats or cute children, in reality, a buffering connection, unflattering camera angle or those admitedly funny interruptions can cause real headaches when trying to get work done.
With that in mind, here’s how to set up your home office for stress free video chats.
INVEST IN QUALITY TECH
There’s nothing worse than being on a video call with somebody who can barely see or hear you. No great deal was ever struck in such an instance. Neither did a perfect pitch get delivered or innovation take flight when the technology kept failing.
If you’ve been feeling increasingly frustrated with the built-in webcam on your laptop, or poor sound quality is getting in the way of communication with your team while you’re working from home, then it’s worth investing in some better-quality tech to use for video calling and conferencing.
Consider using a seperate webcam – which reliably provides a better quality of image and speed of processing – instead of the built-in version. When paired with an investment in a headset with a microphone to keep the sound quality up to scratch, your video calls, from a technological perspective at least, are going to run far more smoothly!
GET ERGONOMIC FURNITURE
The comfort of your home office will directly impact your video calls and how stressful (or stress free) they are to complete. If you are uncomfortable and need to crane your neck to see the screen or make sure that others can see you, then chances are you’re only going to end video calls feeling stiff and in pain. Let’s be blunt here; ongoing posture issues aren’t going to do anything for your productivity levels.
Investing in ergonomic office furniture is a must for anybody who’s working from home right now. An office chair that offers lumbar support, for example, will make all the difference to how you feel during those lengthy video calls when compared to sitting on a regular chair from your kitchen.
It might also be worth investing in other ergonomic tech like an adjustable monitor, which you can place at the correct eye-level, and an ergonomic mouse that provides wrist support for an even better experience. All of these simple office design hacks can add to a reduction in stress in the workplace, whether that’s at home or in a central office space.
UPDATE THE LIGHTING
The lighting can make or break your video calls, and if you’ve found that others struggle to see you when you’re appearing on a call, or that the light is too bright and leaving you looking washed out on screen, the good news is that there are a few simple steps that you can take to get better lighting which addresses the problem.
Firstly, make sure that the light is in front of you and behind the webcam rather than behind you. Wherever possible, use natural lighting from a window, or strategically placed lamps or ring lights if you need to.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Setting up your home office for a comfortable, stress-free video calling experience is an important part of getting ready for full-time working from home, and can help you increase your productivity and job satisfaction.
If you’re keen for more tips on making your remote office run more smoothly, then check out these 5 ways to make working from home easy with apps.