How To Work From Home Sustainably Post COVID-19

In light of the coronavirus pandemic, you will have probably found yourself recently working from home a lot more than normal.

While this may have seemed great at first – not having to commute, spending more time with the kids, hosting Zoom calls in your pyjama bottoms – as the months of lockdown passed by, it may have slowly become more and more difficult to motivate yourself to work.

Photo by bongkarn thanyakij from Pexels

If this situation sounds familiar, don’t worry – we’re here to help. All you need is to solidify your routine by creating a working from home environment that not only makes you feel good but allows you to do good as well.

From surrounding yourself with greenery to utilising renewable-based devices, join us as we run through some of the best ways to work from home with sustainability in mind.

Invest In Renewable

If you know your job is likely to be on a work from home basis from now on, it’s important to keep an eye on your energy bills.

Since you aren’t needing to go into the office as much anymore, the overhead costs – in terms of electricity, water and gas – now fall on your shoulders.

Therefore, why not consider investing in renewable energy?

By installing a renewable energy source, such as a few domestic solar panels on your roof or a ground source heat pump in your garden, the energy you create will then be your own, meaning you won’t need to rely on expensive energy suppliers to power your home.

Eat Sustainably

While you’re in the office, you will likely have less choice over what type of coffee you drink, what kind of lunch you buy and how many snacks you eat during the day.

That all changes now you’re in an at-home working environment, so try to eat sustainably where you can.

The meat and dairy industries, for example, are two of the biggest contributors to gas emissions worldwide. Therefore, the more you can cut down on your meat and dairy consumption, the lower your home’s carbon footprint will be, and the bigger the impact you’ll have on sustaining the planet.

That’s not to say you need to go fully vegan or anything either. Making even the smallest effort to have a meat-free lunch just one day a week, or to replace the milk you use with a soya or oat-based alternative, can make a big difference.

Go Green

Looking after your mental health and wellbeing is imperative while working from home. After all, not being able to have that differentiation between your home and work environment can weigh on your mind, making you feel more stressed and demotivated as a result.

It’s important to, therefore, implement ways which can combat this while you’re working from home.

Surrounding yourself with plants and greenery like aloe vera and ivy is a great place to start.

Not only will this help improve the air quality of your surrounding area and make it a lot easier for you to concentrate, but it’ll also make your at-home workspace look and feel a lot more enticing.

Work Outside

Rather than staying stuck indoors using up your electricity and leaving the lights on all day, why not embrace the great outdoors instead?

While this may not always be possible, if you can work on just a laptop, save energy where you can by working in your outdoor space.

Even if you only have a small outside balcony, utilising natural light over artificial light can make a big difference to not only your energy bills but the planet’s longevity as well.

Final Thoughts…

So, there you have it – some quick and effective ways to work from home sustainably.

Whether you’d rather make a difference to your energy supplier, your working environment or your eating habits, even the smallest change can have the biggest impact.

Plus, since coronavirus has been the talk of the town for so long now, climate change hasn’t exactly gone away. Ice caps are still melting, sea levels are still rising, and there remains more plastic in our oceans than ever before.

By taking the time now to set up a sustainable at-home work environment, you will not only be helping both your health and finances, but you’ll be helping to sustain the planet as well. Now, what’s not to like about that?

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