If you’d told us this time last year that we’d be spending time in our bosses’ bedrooms’ we’d have been horrified! But what a difference a year makes. What with Covid, 3 lockdowns, and mandatory working from home for everyone except key workers, we’ve Zoomed and Teamed with the best of them, squeezed into any home space that’s either free from kids/ pets/ partners (temporarily anyway); has a stylish bookshelf/ pot plant/ piece of art in the background; or has a comfy seat to support our aching backs. As the pandemic has gone on, however, it has become clear that we’ve all become REALLY familiar with one another. As the boundaries between personal and professional life has blurred, so too has where we work. And now, it seems WFB is a thing!
To anyone in the dark, WFB is Working From Bed. According to Instagrammers it’s the New Big Thing and is especially popular with those living in shared accommodation. And big retailers concur, having seen a 600% uplift in laptop trays and wedge pillows that aid WFB productivity! So if you want to get on board what kit do you need? Journalist Sarah Rainey shares her top tips:
• A laptop tray with mouse mat and wrist cushion
• Bedside storage
• Memory foam support pillow
• Upright wireless mouse
• Notebook pillow
• Battery-powered charger
• Bedside coffee machine and spill proof mug
• Smart bed
What to wear? Sarah tells us silk pyjamas are ideal for avoiding that ‘just got up’ look and will provide a sophisticated look. To avoid aches and pains, she suggests getting up every 20-30 minutes to do some stretching as apparently being in the same position for a prolonged period can cause back pain. And one final word of caution: when you WFB the psychological and physical boundaries between work and relaxation become blurred, making it a challenge to switch off at night time. There’s also a risk your work will be affected by the set-up, making you more susceptible to distraction, fatigue and low motivation. A physical distinction between work and leisure is key, for example sitting on a different part of your bed. To create a strong association between your bed and sleep, protect your bed for relaxation. But if you have to WFB try to stop work thoughts creeping in at bedtime. Change the bedcover, add more bright lighting, move the bed – anything to create a distinction between your sleep environment and your work environment. At the end of the day, clear your bedroom work stuff to draw a psychological line under the work day before you wind down.
