We’ve all done those weeks at work: five or six 12-hour days on the trot, pushing to get something done. Many of us regularly work well over 8 hours a day and have long and punishing commutes on either end.
The UK has one of the longest average working weeks in Europe at nearly 43 hours. It isn’t healthy: NHS Choices says we lose 131 million working days to sickness and injury every year in the UK. Stress is the number one cause, followed by back pain. A 13-year University or Massachusetts study found a steadily rising risk of workplace injury with the amount of overtime worked.
Bad enough, but now a UCL study published in 2015 says a working week of more than 55 hours increases our risk of stroke by 33% and of coronary heart disease by 13%. Should we be pausing to think about this?
Most of us need to work, and many are lucky enough to enjoy it. But if long, sedentary hours in the office mean we’re living with daily stress, poor diet and not enough exercise, we’re risking more than a few days off with a bad back.
Many clients come to us for a tailor-made garden cabin for work. Not all of them are freelancers, self-employed (or hermits!) Quite a number have arranged with their employers to work from home all or part of the time. Some have even managed to negotiate terms where the employer contributes some of the cost or ‘rents’ the space – nice work!
What our clients find is that once they can use a garden office to strike a healthier work-life balance, they feel happier, more motivated and less likely to need time off work.
We all know how to be healthier at work: have an efficient and ergonomic workstation, eat healthily, keep hydrated and take regular screen breaks and exercise. And avoid the guy with the really sneezy cold.
It’s so much easier when you’re in control of your own workspace, have designed desk, chair and lighting to suit you exactly, and have a home and garden to walk around for inspiration. That bit of extra daylight does the trick for your natural serotonin levels, too.
Most importantly, working so close to home - buys back hours of commuting time – use it instead to relax, be with loved ones and pursue hobbies. And as we’re thinking about health, we need to use some of this time to get sporty too. We all know exercise helps both body and mind feel better, but how much easier to exercise when it’s not after a 12-hour day at work. Many of our clients incorporate a gym or hobby area into the design of their garden office making a dual-purpose space.
Why not make room for your hobbies in your garden office?
Being productive and healthy at work means you can switch off at the end of the day and enjoy its rewards. Leaving your work and ‘coming home' is also an important benefit of the purpose-built garden office.
And… relax.
For your own garden office, contact us or visit our show site to see a range of high-quality garden offices for yourself.
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