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38% of remote workers work from bed

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Re: 38% of remote workers work from bed

#151

Post by robbedpeter »

scarecrowbob wrote: post #77

I've been working remote for about 10 years. I've had "real" offices. I've worked in open-plan offices. I've had a home office. I've worked from bed. There are tons of good ways to do it. Lately I swap between a kitchen table and a chair on my porch. I no longer use multiple screens, I've just gotten really fast at swapping windows on my 15" laptop; I've gotten good at figuring out how wide my terminal window breaks…

>>... play banjo or accordion

Being able to noodle on a guitar while stepping away from a problem is a super power for me. If you work from home, get an instrument you can distract yourself with. The music or drills can break you out of ruts, and if you do it half seriously, you can develop real skill.

The oh so serious kabuki show we all play out in offices, especially open plans, wastes a lot of mental energy on "professionalism" and decor. People get away with being good at that type of theater, instead of being competent problem solvers, or try to turn those things into leverage for internal politics and career maneuvering.

If people are doing knowledge work, then the privacy of their home gets rid of all the unnecessary play acting. Maybe the pandemic will demonstrate once and for all that an employee with a good work ethic can be lots more effective from home than at the office. And if we encourage music and creativity and development of other relaxation and focusing skills in service of optimizing mental acuity, that leads to a better world.

Re: 38% of remote workers work from bed

#153

Post by zz865 »

scarecrowbob wrote: post #77

I've been working remote for about 10 years. I've had "real" offices. I've worked in open-plan offices. I've had a home office. I've worked from bed. There are tons of good ways to do it. Lately I swap between a kitchen table and a chair on my porch. I no longer use multiple screens, I've just gotten really fast at swapping windows on my 15" laptop; I've gotten good at figuring out how wide my terminal window breaks…

> I've just gotten really fast at swapping windows on my 15" laptop;

How's your spine? my neck can't handle laptops any more.

Re: 38% of remote workers work from bed

#154

Post by jobigoud »

Not all aspects of the work we do has to be in front of a computer screen. Sometimes when I need to think really hard about a problem, I lay down, close my eyes and visualise. It doesn't even have to be on the bed, sometimes I'll lay on the floor in the middle of the living room. Can't do that in the office.

Re: 38% of remote workers work from bed

#155

Post by hyper_dynamics »

KronisLV wrote: post #146

I'm still amazed at how we lack both ergonomic and comfortable ways to use computers, it's usually just either one or the other, never both. Imagine a large pillow that's shaped vaguely like human back should be when resting, which you could put on your bed to support your entire back, neck and head, at a slight incline. Then, add a keyboard support that can be moved around, alongside with one for mouse (or just a tr…

https://dekomilch.de/burodesign-2/bester-monitorstaender-hoe...

Re: 38% of remote workers work from bed

#156

Post by metb »

dsign wrote: post #140
mojuba wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's work from home brilliantly summarized, very true. However, I have my doubts about productivity in smaller teams and startups. Being in the same space physically I think speeds up a lot of things. In small teams and esp. at early stage startups your whole day is a meeting where things are discussed and resolved spontaneously. Sometimes it is important to have an environment where information is exchanged dynami…

> Being in the same space physically I think speeds up a lot of things. In small teams and esp. at early stage startups your whole day is a meeting where things are discussed and resolved spontaneously. Who's going to write the fine-detail code if they whole day is a meeting? It may change from case to case, but for some small teams the biggest challenge is to produce something so good that it out-competes the produc…

> Who's going to write the fine-detail code if they whole day is a meeting?

Reminds me of the time I worked at an early stage startup. I used to take official vacation time, and disappear from company collaboration tools to get real work done.

Re: 38% of remote workers work from bed

#157

Post by DoingIsLearning »

I will throw in my 5 cents anecdata (I have a history of trauma/back injuries and pain).

I spent about 100 euros on a kneeling chair, that had enough adjustment settings for my liking. I have been increasing my time on it steadily for the past few months, to the point that I now confortably work the whole day from it.

It is a complete mind shift, I actively have to sustain my posture (and actively shift it), I don't slouch and I don't snooze off. It propels you into 'active mode'.

Whenever I am eventually physically tired it prompts me to take a break by taking a walk or eating a snack. I have been absolutely back pain free for the last 8 months and overall I feel that my posture is improved.

Re: 38% of remote workers work from bed

#158

Post by hsbauauvhabzb »

KronisLV wrote: post #146

I'm still amazed at how we lack both ergonomic and comfortable ways to use computers, it's usually just either one or the other, never both. Imagine a large pillow that's shaped vaguely like human back should be when resting, which you could put on your bed to support your entire back, neck and head, at a slight incline. Then, add a keyboard support that can be moved around, alongside with one for mouse (or just a tr…

Subbing to this, in case somebody drops commercial or DIY bed monitor visa mounts or spine friendly bed pillows

Re: 38% of remote workers work from bed

#159

Post by Aeolun »

samsonradu wrote: post #147
scarecrowbob wrote: post #77

I've been working remote for about 10 years. I've had "real" offices. I've worked in open-plan offices. I've had a home office. I've worked from bed. There are tons of good ways to do it. Lately I swap between a kitchen table and a chair on my porch. I no longer use multiple screens, I've just gotten really fast at swapping windows on my 15" laptop; I've gotten good at figuring out how wide my terminal window breaks…

This is spot on. The 'bottleneck' in programming is not the screen size or typing speed but the I/O of information in the brain. I too stopped using multiple screens some time ago because it felt like being overwhelmed with information and experiencing fatigue, while not being more productive.

I stopped using multiple screens, but only because my 4K (at home) and ultrawide (in the office) can fit everything I need. I wouldn’t do the same with 1080p.

Re: 38% of remote workers work from bed

#160

Post by alpaca128 »

zz865 wrote: post #153
scarecrowbob wrote: post #77

I've been working remote for about 10 years. I've had "real" offices. I've worked in open-plan offices. I've had a home office. I've worked from bed. There are tons of good ways to do it. Lately I swap between a kitchen table and a chair on my porch. I no longer use multiple screens, I've just gotten really fast at swapping windows on my 15" laptop; I've gotten good at figuring out how wide my terminal window breaks…

> I've just gotten really fast at swapping windows on my 15" laptop; How's your spine? my neck can't handle laptops any more.

I really don't know much in this area but this seems to be more of a posture thing. A physiotherapist told me he only uses laptops because apparently that's the best combined with the right table and chair due to the tilted, low screen.

In my experience he's at least not completely wrong, but in the long term I still aim to try a standing desk to mix it up, sooner or later sitting in general feels wrong when I overdo it. And I just prefer a single large screen. Enough to fit two windows beside each other with enough space for any situation.

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