Due to Covid 19, working from home has increasingly come to the fore in recent years and has lost its horror for many employers. While it was frowned upon years ago and mobile working did not seem suitable for achieving the desired work performance, this attitude has changed fundamentally for many people in the last two years. Before the pandemic, only 12% of Germans worked from home; during the lockdown in April 2020, this figure rose to 35%.
Along with the flexibilization of working hours and work locations, many people are now asking themselves the question: where and how do I actually work from home? Especially people who have never worked from home before are faced with the challenge of setting up an effective and pleasant workplace.
The first thing to consider here is the room situation. Do you have to work in a “family room” such as the kitchen or living room, or do you have your own workspace? In addition to general equipment such as furniture (click here for an article on ergonomic office equipment) or electronic devices, heat distribution in your home office is extremely important, especially in the fall and winter.
When the temperatures drop and it starts to get uncomfortable outside, you will notice that it can also get really cold at your workplace. As you may have noticed yourself, productivity and creativity drop significantly in cold workplaces. Your body reacts to the cold by reducing blood flow to the body’s surface tissues in order to minimize heat loss. This leads to an increasing cooling of the extremities. For sedentary activities without physical exertion – such as office work – the minimum temperature is at least 20 degrees Celsius. It therefore makes no sense to do without a heat source to save money.
However, unlike the heating costs in the office, which are borne by your employer, you have to pay for the costs in your home office yourself. So that you don’t have to spend the majority of your earnings on unnecessary heating costs, we have a few tips for you on how to keep your home office warm and cozy even on cold days.
6 tips for a warm home office
1. take a look at your heating system.
Do you heat with convection heating, i.e. a standard radiator as found in many apartments and houses?
With a conventional wall-mounted radiator, the cold room air is heated and rises upwards. As the warm air rises, cold air flows in. The resulting air circulation is often perceived as draughty. In addition, the rotating air stirs up dust, which is disadvantageous for allergy sufferers.
In contrast, infrared heaters do not primarily heat the room air, but the masonry. The outer walls in particular are usually the coldest areas in the room and create an unpleasant feeling of cold. An infrared heater heats objects, walls, ceilings, floors and people evenly and then transfers the heat to the room air.
So simple!
The good thing is that you don’t have to chisel open walls, lay cables and turn your home into a building site for the next few months to install an infrared heater. The Könighaus infrared heaters are designed to save space and can be hung on the wall like a large picture using the drilling template provided. Four drill holes are usually sufficient for this. As the infrared heaters are operated with 230 V alternating current, one socket is sufficient per panel. This allows you to hang your heater near your workplace.
If you don’t just have a fixed work area, but switch between several areas, you can also give your infrared heater even more flexibility with the metal or castor feet from Könighaus. This allows you to move your infrared heater to exactly where you want it to be warm. Simple and ingenious, isn’t it?
2. stop the train!
We’re not talking about the draught that normally brings you into your office, but the common draught. Wonderful when you’ve set up your new home office – the infrared heaters are installed, it’s cozy and warm and you can actually start working … but why are your feet and hands still cold?
Take a look at your windows and doors. Do you perhaps still have old wooden windows? Or are the seals on the frames porous? Simple rubber seals can help you to stop unpleasant draughts and save on heating costs. You can place extra fluffy draught excluders or towels in front of the front doors, while you should check whether the front door still has a letter slot. If so, it’s better to seal it and install a letterbox on the wall.
Snuggle up and keep your feet warm
3. close the curtains!
Curtains are an important part of thermal insulation. Cold air penetrates through all glass surfaces and cools the room temperature considerably. To prevent this, hang thick, tightly woven curtains. This not only looks stylish, but also ensures that the heat stays in the room. Workstations close to the window in particular benefit enormously.
4. feet warm – brain active
Cold feet are not only bad for your mood, but also for your work performance. Because cold feet reduce your energy levels. To prevent this, we have a great tip for you: do you already know our practical desk heaters?
Other additional measures you can take: Put on socks made of alpaca or merino wool and place a fluffy rug under your desk. This will prevent the cold from being drawn up from the floor. Styrofoam plates under your feet are also an effective method. They may not look so pretty, but they do a great job of keeping out the cold.
5. get moving!
Movement, movement, movement. A simple but effective way to get your circulation going. If you have a dog, you should be out and about with your four-legged friend three times a day anyway – additional playing and running around as a fun break in between is also a wonderful way to relax and warm up.
But you can also be wonderfully active without a furry friend – you don’t even have to leave the house. When was the last time you did jumping jacks? Or just turn up your favorite music and dance around wildly for 10 minutes. It doesn’t matter what – the main thing is that you enjoy it and get moving.
6. sunshine – be happy!
Make the most of every ray of sunshine – because especially in fall and winter, we lack the important vitamin D to strengthen the immune system. Get out into the fresh air and enjoy the warming sun. This is not only good for your immune system, but also puts you in a good mood.
Conclusion
Keep your home office warm – so you stay healthy and can concentrate fully on your work, because heat distribution in your home office is extremely important for your well-being. With the use of space-saving infrared heaters, Könighaus offers an individual, flexible solution for every home office.
Want to know more?
We are delighted if we have been able to show you new aspects of infrared heating. There is a lot more exciting information to discover. Would you like to know more about fossil fuels, for example? Or would you like to do something good for your pet and are interested in the positive influence of heat on many existing illnesses? Just visit our blog regularly – it’s worth it! If you have any further questions, our friendly customer service team will be happy to help you – by phone, email or chat. We look forward to hearing from you.
