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Last Updated on December 28, 2020 by Work In My Pajamas
As a freelancer or a telecommuter, the room that you spend most of your time in is probably your home office. Be it a study or your bedroom, it has to be comfortable. However, with your laptop plugged in, a lot of light that you need to protect your eyes, the documents you print out to make them easier to read (or have to send to your clients), your home office can generate a substantial amount of waste and pollution. To make your surroundings more relaxing and help the environment, you should consider investing in greening your office. By going green in this space, you may be able to enjoy substantial benefits in many areas of your life.
How to Go Green
Going green in your home office may sound complicated and expensive, but there are simple, practical tips that you can follow to improve your work space gradually over time.
For example, you can prevent phantom energy usage by using a power strip. You can upgrade all of your light bulbs with CFL bulbs, but you also should consider turning the lights off and using natural sunlight for at least a portion of the day. Look for recycled materials when selecting supplies, and buy used equipment and furnishings. Store your data in the cloud to reduce paper waste. These are only a few of the many simple steps. that you can take to go green in your home work space.
Benefits of Going Green
Before you make the effort to go green, you may be wondering how this can benefit you. In addition to benefiting the environment that you live in, green changes in your home office can also improve your health, productivity, and wealth.
Health
Adding several potted plants to your home office is an excellent way to dress up the decor and to improve your health. Indoor plants can absorb pollution in this space and improve the amount of fresh oxygen available. Some of the pollutants that can be removed from an indoor environment through potted plants include dust, bacteria, and mold spores. These elements can result in burning eyes, runny noses and other respiratory symptoms that could result in medical bills and reduced productivity.
Green changes in your space may also help you to manage stress while working. Blue light from your current light bulbs may be straining your eyes and preventing you from sleeping peacefully at night. By simply turning off the lights and using natural sunlight in the space, you may be able to reduce your stress level and sleep more restfully each night.
Productivity
You may not think that going green would impact productivity, but it actually can have a beneficial impact on your work activities in many years. When you incorporate natural elements into your work space, such as plants and sunlight, you may feel more relaxed and at ease. Happier workers are able to focus more clearly on their work activities.
More than that, you may feel wonderful about your work activities because you know that you are not having a negative impact on the environment. Remember that productivity in the workplace can result in greater efficiency, which means more work done and more money earned.
Wealth
In addition to earning more money, going green can help you build up your savings account. There are costs associated with poor health and productivity issues. When you make green changes in your space, you can boost profits related to these areas. More than that, you may be able to save money through operations by investing in energy-efficient equipment, recycling strategies, and even water-saving equipment.
For example, printing documents on both sides of the paper can reduce the amount of paper your office consumes by half. You can save money and decrease your impact on the environment when you purchase used furnishings and equipment. For items that your office no longer needs, you can sell them to others to recoup money and to prevent them from winding up in the landfill.
Green for the Win
The process of going green may sound complicated and expensive, but you can see that making small decisions with the environment in mind on a daily basis can yield tremendous results. More than that, many of these green decisions and changes may help you save money in the long run. Now is a great time to focus your attention on going green in your home office and reaping the rewards.
