This month marked a year of working from home for many of us. Who would have thought that back in March 2020, we’d still be in some kind of lockdown a whole year later? But here we are. And this past year has highlighted the fact that so many of us can work from home quite effectively.
The future of work is wide open for re-evaluation with many big companies reassessing the need for central offices or at least looking to cut back on the number of offices that they have or the amount of office space that they occupy. This pandemic may have changed the world of work forever and only time will tell what becomes normal once everything reopens.
Working from home hasn’t turned out to be the fairytale that many of us had once thought it would be though. The juggle between work and homeschool was a spectacular challenge for many families. Those who live alone have struggled with social isolation. And for many people, the lack of a purpose-built office at home has made working from home particularly uncomfortable.
I don’t have a spare room at home that I can use as an office, so while I was unable to work from my coworking space I had to set up camp on my dining room table, or the sofa, depending on how cosy I wanted to be. This is not ideal and I often ended up working from the sofa of an evening once the kids were in bed because solid wooden dining room chairs just aren’t designed to be sat on comfortably for hours on end, even with seat pads.
Many people would have found themselves in this situation over lockdown and working from home has been damaging for their physical health. I suspect most people missed the ergonomic office chair they would have had when working from their office. As nobody knew just how long we would be working from home for, I’m guessing many people thought they would just soldier on at the dining table.
Creating an ergonomic workspace is so important and an ergonomic office chair is an absolute must if you are going to be seated at a desk for any length of time. The human body is meant to be seated for extended hours during the day. Evolution led us to develop a musculoskeletal system that is optimized for standing upright or being on the move. Since the late 20th century our normal working habits revolve around technology-led, desk work and we find ourselves sitting down too much. Back discomfort and physical ailments are on the rise
Ergonomic chairs have been designed to provide the best support for our backs, to promote movement and enhanced wellbeing. The team at SummitAtHome has created the term ‘Dynamic Sitting’ which essentially means wellbeing through movement in the chair. Regular movement is recognized as vital for good back care and their unique chairs can be unlocked whilst seated providing the ability to constantly adjust your seated position.
They also offer additional features that encourage good seated posture and relieve uneven pressure on the spine:
- Body balance mechanism for ‘dynamic sitting’
- Patented Airbridge technology to deliver variable support for your spine through inflatable, AirCare seat cushions.
- Easy Lift, back height adjustment for precise positioning of the inflatable lumbar support.
- Cool, flexible mesh backs
- Push Button Mechanism control
- Height adjustable lumbar pads
- S shaped spinal support
- Width & height adjustable arms designed to prevent strain on our shoulders and neck.
- Multi adjustable head rests
I have teamed up with SummitAtHome to giveaway an ergonomic office chair. You can enter below using the Gleam Widget. There are a number of entry options but as a minimum, you must leave a comment to enter. One lucky winner will be drawn at random and will be able to choose an ergonomic office chair made to their bespoke specification. Good Luck!
Win an ergonomic office chair
Would look great in my gaff
Not getting distracted by my dog! :D
I went from a herman miller at work to a “gaming” chair that doesnt support a dang thing at home. ugh.
This is just perfect for my office, would really help my poor back
Distractions and finding a comfortable place to work.
Being lonely
It’s always difficult to find enough room for everything, our house is overcrowded as it is and we have a child with severe learning difficulties, so can be a challenge some days
The most challenging thing in my case is getting through to colleague who is providing support when there is only one contact line everyone is trying to call
The most challenging thing about working from home is trying to be focused the entire time. It is easy to get up and try to do the dishes or go spend time with my dog. In retrospect though i feel like i am getting more work done at home.
The most challenging thing about working from home is that not everything can be done from home.
Staring at walls and no one to talk or banter with
Love the variety of chairs you have. Violet/Purple one looks so comfy!
Constant interruptions
I think the most annoying thing for me is my sister texting me virtually every day to help her spot planes and trains
One of the most annoying things for me is having my sister text me virtually every day expecting me to help her spot planes and trains
I would love such a nice chair to replace my present one .
Avoiding Distractions
Great Comp and Prize!
working from the kitchen worktop
Keeping your concentration can be difficult at times
Definitely getting comfortable as I don’t have a proper desk/chair set up so just using the dining room table!
Keeping comfortable and focused.
My toddler as she likes to knock my office door to come in and chat to me while I’m working
My toddler is the biggest challenge. She likes to knock on the door of my home office to come in and talk to me.
not being distracted to go and do household jobs during the “working day”
No place to work without back,or neck ache,or peace and quiet to do the work without the support of your colleagues.
I love working from home so don’t really have much in the way of challenges other than my dogs distracting me! I have 3 little shih tzu’s who are very needy and always want to be sat on my knee
Finding a comfortable workstation and staying motivated
Thanks
Wow. Keeping comfortable and focused.
These chairs are awesome!! I’ve been doing my home office sitting on the floor, along with my files, etc. It is getting hard and I’ve been looking for chairs like these – wow!
Not having a water cooler.
Not seeing my colleagues
the isolation
Getting a good internet connection in a large house
The isolation … prior to Covid19 I worked 5 days per week in a very busy (open plan) office with field staff coming and going all day long with stories of their visits that day, passing on work, asking for advice to immediately being at home alone with only Microsoft Teams for company and the loss of the spontaneous contact with others.
Having full access to the kitchen cupboards and fridge during working hours
Not having human contact!
The distractions and family interruptions!
My biggest issue at the moment is my work set up. I’m using the kitchen table and it’s just so much higher than the chairs when trying to type and use a mouse!
Getting comfortable and keeping focused with the rest of the household around
Found that I wasn’t moving as much as I did in the office and that with a poor chair has let to some postural issues.
Getting a bad back by sitting at the kitchen counter on a stool.
Getting up on time in the morning!
Getting distracted and procrastinating!
Maintaining concentration is hardest when there is so much else to do
I have trouble motivating myself and not being distracted.
The hardest thing is not being distracted by other people and everyday issues.
Keeping comfortable and focussed.
Keeping concentration is hard when not in a work environment
My back doesnt hurt so much if I am using a good chair designed like this beauty
Being sedentary and lacking in motivation.
My current home office chair is squeaking every time I move in it, which can be quite embarrassing in MS Teams or Zoom meetings! It would be great to win a new one.
the distractions as there’s stuff happening outside, stuff happening inside, other people not working from home talking to me plus all the stuff here like books, radio, tv etc
Definitely the social aspect
I spend all day in front of the computer – a bespoke ergonomic chair would really help!
the most challenging thing about working from home is being able to separate work from home.
I’m at a computer most of the day at home and in the office, where I was given a ‘gaming’ chair… It’s functional enough but I really don’t like the aesthetic. These both look better and look like they are better. It’s actually kind of hard to find chairs like this.
All the distractions around the home
Working from home has made me really appreciate what a good chair does for you physically. Very much in need of a good chair – my neck and back are killing me!!!
Ensuring I do take regular breaks and get outside at least once for a short while during the day – its too easy to become tied to the screen and lose track of time….
The biggest problem is being distracted by normal family activities in the house.
My chair!
The biggest challenge has been finding the space to work without distractions. Thankfully home schooling is over!
No seeing real people face to face and loosing the ‘water cooler’ converstations
Family expecting me run errands because I’m “not at work”
Lack of proper furniture – I don’t have a desk or proper chair, so am hunched over laptop all day.
getting side tracked by my son
Not meeting any of my colleagues in person (I joined the job in lockdown)
Getting some peace and quiet to get on with work while avoiding distractions – like the fridge!
Sticking to regular work hours
Not getting distracted by all the things that need doing around the house.
My cat
Deliveries constantly coming to my house! The doorbell ringing all the time when I am in professional virtual meetings – most of these parcels are for my neighbours!!
There are lots of things I like working from home, but I do feel like I have aged phsyically. My lower back, is so stiff, fine when I am standing but stiff when I have been sat down for a long time (meetings all day) and takes ages to get out of the chair!
Not getting comfortable!
Getting the confidentiality I need to make phone calls for work – there’s always someone at home.
Trying to avoid snacking continuously
Working with 2 young kids at home!
trying to not get interrrupted by the family
The hardest thing about working from home is getting distracted by other tasks that need doing….. or snacks that don’t need eating!
difficult to work when it’s sunny outside
Not getting distracted
keeping motivated without seeing work collegues
THe most challenging thing about working from home is the inability sometimes to switch off from work!
No seeing my team mates at work!
Sticking to a routine
Trying to find a suitable and comfortable place to do my work, somewhere where I can sit comfortably for long periods of time without distractions, without noise.
Not getting distracted!
Not having a comfy chair
trying not to watch netflix while working 9-5
Amazing giveaway, great selection of chairs
Definitely coping with the distractions. It took a long time for me to move into the spare room and move everything out that would distract me and now it’s nice to leave the room as it means it’s time for a break!
very timely; urgent need to refurbish home office
I need a chair to correct my bad posture and these look the business.
Too many zoom calls! Drives me mad
I quite like working from home however I have lower backache. I’m not sure if it’s the chair I’m using or the lack of my usual commute exercise
Keeping concentration when there is so much needs doing around the house
For me its the distraction of having my dogs beside me – so tempting to dump the workload and head off to the fields or woods for a long relaxing stroll instead
Are you sitting comfortably? With an ergonomic chair you sure will be.
Lack of purpose built office
the hardest thing about working from home is not having colleagues to brain storm with
Great prize, I really struggle with concentrating at home, too many distractions!
being distracted by things I would rather be doing
Trying multiple positions to get comfy and reduce back pain, trying to work on your bed just results in an unexpected nap
Fun and comfortable. Fantastic!!
it’s a lot easier to get distracted :/
Developing a crick in the neck or a stiff back because I’m not sitting well.
Great prize – I struggle with back pain from sitting hunched at my chair all day!
Remembering to take breaks from the screen and not end up with square eyes at the end of the day.
This would be amazing, just redone a room to make into an office, working from home its nice to have a room away from the Tv and Social media.
trying to make sure that i’m not sitting down in front of screens all day
Getting back ache and wrist ache from not having the right set up to support back and arms
Being disciplined enough to take proper breaks and time away from the computer screen
Getting lost with work, in terms of not taking a break / eating when you should as sometimes get so busy working in silo / solo, time passes so quickly.
Staying alert and motivated
Great prize thanks
I sometimes find it hard to avoid distractions, especially when the dog and cat want attention.
Trying to home school kids and work,it’s not possible
The hardest thing for me is trying to separate home and work life with two young children at home. I feel like i can never truly shut off from thinking about work when i’m spending time with my family and then when I’m working I can’t concentrate with my family in the same home. I’m not able to give my all to either right now
Spending an entire day, 5 days a week, sitting on one of my dining chairs is far from great for my back
The dog demands attention all day, so extremely hard to concentrate.
Perfect to support WFH
Staying motivated
Not having a specific home office with suitable equipment
Great unusual prize, which should help with posture.
Generally the phone ringing, door knocking and the general interupptions of the children……
The hardest thing about working from home is creating the perfect space to concentrate, collaborate, endless zoom meetings and still retain a space to relax
Having a pelvic disorder,comfort is paramount for me.This chair fits the bill.
Just recovering from covid and about to embark on a new home study course. This would be very welcome.
In a word,children.
Definitely the distractions (bed/tv/netflix etc) and active kids!
Trying to find a quiet space in the house without children interrupting
the hardesst thing has been not seeign people, being isolated and feeling lonely!
I used to think my dining chairs were comfortable but after sitting on them for so long now it’s become apparent that I need an office chair. My lower back has never felt so stiff and my neck, let’s not even go there!
online meetings lack the creativity of a inperson meeting
Balancing childcare and work, especially as a single parent!
The hardest thing is having my partner in the house, he doesn’t work at the moment and it gets to me that I have to, whilst he potters around the flat!
I’ve been finding it challenging switching off from work in the evening and having something like a commute as a natural barrier between work and home life.
I miss the face to face interactions with colleagues. Zoom and Teams meetings are great but can’t always replace direct contact.
lately it’s trying not to work too late
Not having access to a printer but otherwise it’s great!
Honestly the hardest thing is getting comfortable and sitting up straight! I find it so easy to sit in strange positions which then hurt my back and hips.
Knowing the biscuit tin is just downstairs!
Staying motivated
Knowing when to close the laptop lid and leave it alone until the next day. The separation from work and personal life is so blurred and can become overwhelming.
Staying at home away from other’s company is the hardest. Also lack of motivation at times
Not having a proper home office to work from.
The hardest thing is finding a suitable work space, at the start of lockdown, it was lying in bed or sitting at the kitchen table. Since then we have set up a dedicated desk and its much better
its having no one else to talk too as im locked away in a room by myself
Getting distracted and feeling motivated
It’s hard to resist getting snacks from the kitchen, and without my normal cycling commute it’s making me fat!
Getting distracted by things going on around you and losing motivation!
Getting the rest of the household to be quiet!
Being isolated from your colleagues
The loneliness and isolation.
Hardest part is productivity- I struggle to work long hours!
I find it hard not being able to leave work at work, I live in a studio flat so my work space is in the same room as where I sleep, eat and relax so I feel like I can’t really get away from my work if that makes sense?
The hardest thing is that it seems every time I walk in to the kitchen I come out with a mars bar
Dealing with interruptions from the kids
My challenge is stopping – work becomes a refuge and sitting at the computer for 11 – 12 hours a day is not doing me any good at all.
Pets!
Not having the random chatter with work colleagues – makes it so easy to miss out on things that are happening in your team/dept.
Struggling to move / take breaks
I find it hard to resist “yet another coffee break”
Not having the same desk setup as in the office
I find it really hard not having that social interaction and being able to go over to someone’s desk to work on something.
The noise of a busy household especially when on Zoom calls.
Definitely the distractions! Its so easy to by the doorbell or the dishwasher or the washing.
Trying to act as a responsible computer health assessor! Tricky when I can only see staff work stations via video conferencing….. ho hum..
I have developed a stoop from bad posture at my desk, so an ergonomic chair would help to improve my posture and alleviate the lower back pain that I get quite frequently.
The hardest thing has been having a 5 year old running around the house, constantly wanting attention and and trying to get him to do school work.
Not moving around so much. I find I work more and don’t take breaks.
We only have a one bed flat, so it’s very squashed with two of us working from home in one room and having to talk over each other during our respective meetings/calls
Not having a specific home office with suitable equipment
Keeping motivated
Not getting distracted by household chores or visitors.
The hardest thing about working from home is there is no competition
Getting distracted and start browsing the internet and buying things online.
Staying motivated
Homeschooling my 2 children as well as working!
Trying to concentrate on the work and not get distracted by things that you might want to do around the house
Staying Motivated.
too easily distracted, make a drink need a wee, postman put washing out fetch it in
it would have to be the boredom !!! very easy to get disctracted
The hardest thing about working from home is being so close to the fridge!
Staying focussed. There are so many distractions at home & I find myself remembering something I need to do & get side tracked from my work
The most difficult part of working at home for me is being cramped into a corner of the tiny spare bedroom, sitting on a cushion on a box.
The loneliness. The lack of company is really damaging to my mental health, so it can be good days and bad days.
these chairs look so comfy
For me it is harder to stop working and have a life/work balance as I choose my hours. Not to mention the damage I do to my body by sitting longer hours.
Remembering to balance work, housework and taking care of the dogs and cats!
I would say the most challenging part of working from home is ignoring the housework that needs doing. It is so tempting to get up and do a small task such as put the washing out, and before I know it, I have spent an hour tidying up!
It is trying to fit everything in to one day, people at home think because you are in the house you can do more.
A good chair is always a must weather at the office or on your pc at home
Keeping focussed on work and not being distracted by the kids.
Not getting distracted!
Procrastinating! 😬
Fantastic giveaway – good luck everyone! ❤️
keeping focused with family around
I’ve found the most difficult thing to be switching off from a work mentality at the end of the day and staying logged on for longer, which I wouldn’t do if I was in the office.
The most difficult part of home working I find arethe distractions of normal daily life
Resisting the urge to snack all the time
When the internet wont work upstairs, so you have to move rooms where there are more distractions and noise ( this morning )
I find it very lonely working from home, I miss having a chat with my work mates
Keeping “The Office” no matter how small the space, separate from the living and sleeping areas. Working in planned slots and ensuring outside exercise, no matter what the weather, I’ve worked from home for thirty years and this has taken time to develop.
Separating work time from me time
Lack of office camaraderie.
My comment name is J- I pressed enter before I entered my full name.
My worse thing about working from home is the lack of companionship and being able to ask opinions, bounce ideas of others, and keeping motivation up – finally the birthday bus are missing :)
Juggling teaching, planning, homeschooling and being a mum. I’m glad we’re allback at school but I’m still bringing work to do at home.
All the interruptions that I get from family.
There’s been a few challenges the speed of the internet and connection, working from my bed in my bedroom uncomfortable and back aching, noise from outside
I must admit, I don’t really find anything challenging about working from home, I love it!
The hardest part for me is to accept the reality of the situation. I easily get distracted and sometimes forget that I should actually be working. I do put my hours in but I often stop work and spend 5 minutes doing this or that (stuff that I really should put off for later).
All the distractions of the family make it difficult to concentrate all the time
The psychological effect! Getting up in one, working in that room, going to bed in that room… I can’t wait to see people again.
The hardest thing is trying not to get distracted by my dog who wants a stroke every 2 minutes…naturally I have to oblige.
Waiting for people to be free instead of solving things with a 2 min chat in the corridor.. and the constant backache
Interruptions from family members whilst on zoom calls
Being Interuppted my children , husband and pets
The biggest challenge is trying to be comfortable consciously all day. It is too easy to tense up without realising it at the time
Slow or interrupted internet
I enjoy working from home but do find the constant meetings tiring, I now block time in my calendar for no calls.
Lack of social contact.
Not allowing domestic trivia to intrude and backache.
The most challenging thing about working from home is distractions! You have all your luxuries and distractions very close by, if you take a short break and plan to do something, you may get easily distracted.
I think the hardest thing about working from home is being sedentary
Not having someone next to me to talk to when I want. Can be very quiet at times!
To start on time and not get distracted
The most challenging thing about working at home is the extra background noises that one hears while working. It’s like working at two jobs at once.
Great prize just what I need !
Getting distracted is the most challenging part of working from home. Whether it’s the postman wanting something signed for, the cat walking on my keyboard or my dog barking at a bird in the garden. So many distractions.
Not having the social interaction with my team that I would normally have in the office. It made the day more fun.
Not getting enough movement / social interaction
The Biggest problem is getting prepared to log on and also knowing when to log off…
Great chair! It’s really hard for me to remember not being in the same position for multiple hours!
Making sure to take breaks from the computer. At my workplace we have set break times, but it’s so much easier to just keep working through when at home!
Social Isolation
Not getting distracted especially when the weather is so nice
Remembering to stop stretch & move about. Not being in a big office means i am doing less steps in work hours. Having to use what was my travelling time to go for a walk. Much more fun thou!
The challenge of working from home is getting comfortable to work when everything is not ergonomically designed as in the office.
Spending money on physiotherapy sessions! As not having a proper workspace with an ergonomic office chair is a pain in the …. back!
Not having decent things like an office printer, scanner, and also missing the chit chat we’d have in the office. I’ve had a few lower back aches so really need to sort out a better set up as even though we may be able to go back to the office soon I think a lot more will be done from home now we’ve all seen it can be done.
I find it very hard to concentrate fully on videoconferencing calls for a long time – an hour or so seems to be my limit.
Getting up in the mornings.
Also looking after the children and not being able to interact with colleagues!
Being distracted by other stuff going on around me.
The most challenging thing about working from home is being able to switch off from work. It’s difficult when you know the work is just ‘there’ on your laptop…calling to you.
The second most challenging thing is trying to walk again after I’ve been sitting on my dining room chair. I obviously sit with my feet tucked back below me and my ankles are so painful!
Most difficult thing was working from home whilst trying to home sxhool. I sincerely hope we never have to do that again!
The hardest thing is staying motivated.
Feeling motivated all the time is tricky
The most challenging thing about working from home is keeping the children quiet when I’m in a meeting.
If you are an introvert then it’s ideal, if you’re an extrovert then you may struggle with a lack of contact with others. I’ve worked from home for several years and it suits me perfectly because I enjoy quiet and I’m disciplined about working. I’m always surprised when I tell someone I work from home and they ask me how I get anything done and aren’t I tempted to watch TV all day! Definitely not and not just because most TV is dreadful. I’m far more productive when working from home as there aren’t any of the usual distractions or interruptions you get being with others in an office. But I have colleagues who struggle because they miss having other people around and so can get quite lonely. In general I think the pros outweigh the cons. I’ve summarised the main things below.
The benefits
No commuting – saves time cost & stress
No unplanned interruptions
Eat what you want rather than what’s available & eat when you want
You wear whatever you want & you don’t have to iron your clothes & you need fewer office clothes
Flexible hours especially because once you stop work you’re home so you can work til 7pm and be home by 7pm
Getting household jobs done e.g. putting washing machine on during the week rather than all at weekend
Being at home if you need things done in the house by say an electrician or plumber so you don’t have to take time off
Not part of office politics
Potential drawbacks
Loss of contact with colleagues
Not being part of impromptu conversations with colleagues
Loss of profile because not physically present
You have to be self disciplined and not get distracted
Ensuring friends/neighbours understand just because you’re at home it doesn’t mean you’re available
Having cats climb all over me while I try to work, but I’ve managed to train Eric to show his pencil-sharpener end at our MD in video calls!
Distractions such as deliveries, visitors, family needing something
Great Prize, just like you I’ve working from my sofa mainly. I have more back and neck pain. This ergonomic office chair would be a great support for the back and lovely choice of colourrs too. Thank you SummitAtHome!
The most challenging thing for me about working from home is to keep separation between work and home. It’s too easy to work from early morning until late evening which leaves me feeling drained and exhausted.
Lack of company!
The biggest challenge I have had is the very poor internet connection at our house. It is awful at the best of times but when you have two teachers delivering live online lessons and two children in their own online lessons it is absolutely dreadful.
The skeleton is so fascinating!!
It’s hard to feel motivated and to manage time as sleep disturbed so lacking energy
Great prize! My husband is on a lookout for a new office chair at the moment.
The fact the kitchen is full of things I shouldn’t be eating all day!
I’ve worked at home for five years so have a good office set up. But having spent a lot of the past year working at the kitchen table rather than my desk (while teaching my kids) I’ve learnt the value of a good office chair the hard way. My back is feeling it!
In times like these, it is a must that WFM peeps consider investing on an ergonomic chair because health is wealth.
Lovely giveaway. If I won I’d gift it to my son who suffers with back issues with his spine. So thank you x
This is such a great idea! My back has definitely suffered in the last year as I now work via zoom!
The thing that is the most distracting part of working at home is the constant noise from the road outside.
Keeping motivated whilst working alone
great prize xxxxx
The boredom, not having people to speak to or a change of scenery