How to set up a productive and convenient home office

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I am a physician in a university hospital, and I often take my work home. It's sad, but it's better than working late in the office alone. At first, I had difficulty maintaining my full focus in my room. When I was ready to work, I became bothered by the inconvenient work environment. My room was not set up for working. It was a suboptimal work environment for me to increase productivity. Work efficiency is vital to achieving a work-life balance. Even though I chose to work at home, I wanted to get things done as quickly as possible and enjoy my free time, which is why I've been trying to upgrade my home office for years. After many trials and errors, I have successfully improved my work experience at home.

Nowadays, many office workers are forced to quarantine and work from home because of the coronavirus outbreak. It became the new normal, and I believe many people seek to set up a productive and convenient home office. I'd like to share my experience.

Mouse and Keyboard (+wrist rest)

The mouse and keyboard are essential tools for computer work. Can you imagine writing a document on an iPad with an onscreen keyboard? Even the thought of it annoys me. However, just the presence of a mouse and keyboard is not enough. You may think that any mouse and keyboard are fine, but you cannot be too careful about choosing the right equipment to avoid wrist and finger pain, which will develop at some point and decrease your productivity.

In my case, I've used a Logitech M325 mouse for a long time. I thought it was a decent mouse because it was reasonably priced with a good grip. However, I developed wrist pain after prolonged use. I realized the mouse was too small for my hand, and that it was straining my hand while I was holding it. After I replaced it with a Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Mouse, my wrist pain subsided. For a similar reason, I also replaced my Logitech standard keyboard with a decent mechanical keyboard. (▶Please refer to my previous post.)

A wrist rest will also offer a nicer typing experience. I like the one from 3M (3M WR310)

Desk

Your desk should have enough space for monitor(s), keyboard and mouse, and pen-and-paper work. Next, the height of the desk should be adequate for your body.

The industry standard for the height of desks is based on your comfort level while writing. You may feel discomfort typing on a keyboard at the standard height. At the correct height, your wrists should not be bent up when you type or grip a mouse, which is why keyboard trays are normally an inch or two lower than the desk. Ideally, buying a desk with adjustable height or a desk with a keyboard drawer is the perfect solution, but you may want to make the best of what you already have. My old desk was not for computer work. I bought a self-assembly keyboard tray and added it to my desk.

Chair

If you spend most of the time in front of the computer, you should choose a comfy chair designed for maximum lumbar support. A good chair is essential to minimize back pain and let you focus.

I have a chair with a dual backrest, which helps me to maintain the correct posture. Unlike the other chairs, this type of chair enables me to work for a long time without back pain.

Monitor

The monitor's size is like the size of the desk space where you can spread out your reference material. Having a large monitor or a second monitor makes your work easy and saves a ton of time flipping between windows.

I normally work on my laptop, but its 14-inch screen often limits my work productivity. When I work at home, I connect a 22-inch external monitor to my laptop. I could have bought a larger one, but I compromised considering the size of my desk. I recommend you  buy a 24-inch or larger external monitor if your desk space allows it.

You should also adjust your monitor so that the top of the screen is positioned at your eye-level. This allows you to look slightly downward when viewing the middle of the screen and helps you avoid hunching your back while working. If the monitor height is too low, you can use a monitor riser. I also use a laptop stand to adjust the laptop screen's height. Simple portable laptop stands are also good for cooling the laptop because they don't fully cover the bottom where the air vents are usually located. A gap between the laptop and the desk also improves cooling efficiency.

Etc.

The reason I often couldn't focus was that I didn't feel inclined to work. I was not emotionally prepared to work. Working at home is not always a nice experience. I solved this problem by listening to upbeat music through a decent Bluetooth speaker with extra bass. I believe a good headphone or a headset would also work. If you have video conferences often, a quality headset will be worth the price.

For the pen-and-paper work, additional lighting will be useful. Reading papers under dim lighting can cause eyestrain. I recommend a desk lamp with adjustable brightness levels.

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어휘, 표현, 기타 정리

productive / prə-ˈdək-tiv, prō- / 강세가 뒤에, 프러 혹은 프로우

emotion / i-ˈmō-shən / 이모우션

take my work home 일거리를 집으로 가져오다.

bring my work home

became bothered by -때문에 신경쓰이다 방해받다

work environment 

I developed wrist pain / Wrist pain developed 어떤 증상 발현시 develop 자동사로 가능

strain

한계에 이르게 하다, 무리를 주다

The sudden influx of visitors is straining hotels in the town to the limit.

갑작스런 관광객들의 쇄도로 시내 호텔들이 한계에 이를 정도이다.

(근육 등을) 혹사하다[무리하게 사용하다], 염좌[좌상]를 입다

to strain a muscle

근육을 혹사하다

worth the price 그만한 값어치가 있다.

air vent 통풍구

feel inclined to -할 마음이 들다.

a desk lamp with adjustable brightness levels 밝기 조절이 가능한 스탠드

If 조건절에서 comma (https://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/writing/comma?10)

Use a comma if the if clause is at the beginning of the sentence.

e.g., If I go to London, I will visit the Tower.

Don’t use a comma if the if clause is at the end of the sentence.

e.g., I will visit the Tower if I go to London.

접속사 so와 comma (http://blog.writersdomain.net/grammar-time-using-a-comma-before-so/)

앞 문장이 이유나 원인이 되어 '그래서/따라서'의 의미로 연결하는 경우는 so 앞에서 comma 필요하다. (독립)

뒤 문장이 목적으로 해석되어 so that 또는 in order that 역할을 하는 경우는 so 앞에서 comma 필요 없다. (종속)

A comma is not needed before “so” when it’s followed by a dependent clause and includes an often-implied “that” (he did something so that something else would happen). Though this clause may also have its own subject and verb, its meaning is dependent on what precedes “so.” You can also try replacing “so” with with the phrase “in order that.” Something happens in order that (or so that) something else will happen. If “so that” or “in order that” makes sense in the sentence, the clause is dependent and there shouldn’t be a comma.

Examples of Both

The teacher was sick, so the test was canceled. — Independent, comma.

The student pretended to be sick so he wouldn’t have to take the test. — Dependent, no comma.

Our team offers same-day services, so call us today to get started. — Independent, comma.

Our team offers same-day services so you can get back to your normal, day-to-day life. — Dependent, no comma.

Bluetooth에서 b는 대문자이다.

(참고: https://grammarist.com/new-words/bluetooth/)

(참고: https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EB%B8%94%EB%A3%A8%ED%88%AC%EC%8A%A4)