Electric.ie January/February 2022

52 ELECTRIC.IE • The Magazine & Website for the Irish Electrical Industry • The importance of having a warm comfortable space to be productive Having a space that you are going to use just for work is very important. If you have the opportunity to use a warm, separate room then this is a good option. A separate workspace means you can separate “work” you from “home or family” you. Using a dedicated office or space means less chance of work interfering with your home and personal time. If you don’t have an office at home, you will have to look for another space and transform it. Perhaps a corner of the dining room or a guest bedroom would work well? To make your home workplace truly special, we value a warm, clean and tidy space as it will allow you to be more focused. If you are focused, you will feel more productive. Wherever your workspace is, it’s important that you feel good within it. Well-being and comfort will allow you to work more effectively and feel motivated, especially on those days when outside influences like the weather can get you down. Make sure your new office is properly equipped for your needs and that you work as much as possible separately from other people in your home. Think tranquillity, calm and comfort. It’s also a great opportunity to liven up an unused space with warm colours, new furniture like a comfortable chair or maybe some new computer equipment. How the warm temperature of your home helps you to be more focused Well-being and comfort in a warm work area directly affects productivity, but you don’t always ർ For many of us, working from home can be a difficult situation to handle. If there are too many things going on at the same time, home, far from being a comfortable and warm place, can become a stressful environment. Here are a few tips from Rointe that may help you stay productive whilst working from home and coping with everyday life in a space where you feel more connected and inspired. have the possibility to create the perfect conditions. So, you have to use what you already have in your environment to feel better. Temperature can be a key factor in achieving that warm environment and increasing your thermal comfort. If you are interested in health issues you may know about thermal well-being, which refers to the feeling of thermal satisfaction within the environment, causing a sensation of comfort in the body. Normally in offices we try to maintain an average temperature, around 21ºC, so that everyone can feel this warm feeling of wellbeing. Why not try it in your own home? Home heating systems can make a simple warm environment bring your productivity to the next level but finding the perfect temperature can be a challenge. If it’s too low it can be inefficient, whilst too high a temperature can decrease productivity by more than half. The most recommendable is to have an average of about 21º, but the ideal is that you find the one you feel most comfortable with when configuring the heating of your home. Rointe tips on creating warm working from home spaces Rointe Stay connected, working at home does not mean working alone The recent increase in working from home may seem like you are isolating yourself from social contact but having moments of disconnection can be even more productive, so you don’t waste time whilst working. Colleagues can be distracting if you’re trying to concentrate, but equally social interaction can bring a welcome sigh of relief when needed. Take advantage of those moments in your warm environment to have a coffee with your colleagues or talk to a friend, even if it’s only virtually. Walking is also great for calming the mind and refocusing your energy. Take a break and you’ll notice how you connect with others better when you go back to work. Now that you know these ways of using the temperature to create a warm home to increase your productivity, you will feel your comfort and well- being increase and you will see how connected and focused you can be. If you want to know how to introduce all these tips to create a warm environment in your home