by Furnishly | Jan 23, 2023 | Design Inspiration, Style
It’s no secret that many people are trading in office life for the freedom to work from anywhere in the world. A 2022 study found that 16.9 million Americans identified as digital nomads, and that number is only going to grow as remote work continues to transform the workplace. Countries like Croatia, Spain, Portugal, and Barbados offer specific digital nomad visas that allow you to live, work, and travel, usually for up to one year.
That said, although the experiences and memories that come with being a digital nomad are a huge advantage, this type of lifestyle would also take some adjusting to. From working through different time zones to language barriers and less-than-reliable internet connection, it’s important to remember that being a digital nomad isn’t just plain sailing.
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CoworkingCafe surveyed over 820 digital nomads to determine what they miss the most about traditional office setups. Many digital nomads are normally working from non-conventional spaces, like coffee shops or hotel lobbies that aren’t created with an office-use type in mind.
Add this to the fact that many other people will be trying to connect to the internet at the same time, 51 percent of respondents said that they miss having a reliable Wi-Fi connection. Printers and scanners were cited as the second most-missed office feature, with 38 percent of people saying that having frequent access to these things would make their jobs easier.
Bearing that in mind, when asked about their satisfaction levels with their current work setup, the vast majority (56 percent) of digital nomads surveyed were neutral. Only 18 percent said that they were happy with their setup, and 26 percent revealed that they were unsatisfied with their work environment. As a result, 38 percent of workers said that they were currently on the lookout for a coworking space to better cater to their work needs.
As for what options would enhance the coworking spaces, schedule flexibility was the most sought-after factor. Coworking spaces that are open late hours — or even a full 24 — are great options for those working on different time zones (for example, a digital nomad working in Spain whose main office is in Los Angeles).
by Furnishly | Dec 21, 2022 | Design Inspiration, Style
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At home, I have the perfect work setup. My desk has plenty of storage space, all the supplies I could possibly need are within reach, and my swivel chair is soft and plush. Plus, it’s all right next to my bedroom window, so I get plenty of sunlight. Do I ever actually work from there, though? Absolutely not. Instead, I spend my 9-to-5 writing from my bed, where I can stretch out in any position I want.
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Comfort, or a lack thereof, is the main reason why I refuse to hunker down at my little makeshift office. Specifically, I cannot find a good placement for my legs. Keeping them crossed at the knees hurts my back after a while, whereas the pretzel position eventually makes my joints feel stiff. And if I want to stretch my limbs, my desk’s bottom shelves serve as an inconvenient roadblock. Recently, I was thinking back to how I used to have a small stool at my previous home and how nice something similar would be now. It should come as no surprise that I found an even better one on Amazon.
The adjustable under-desk footrest by HUANUO is the product you need if you also feel uncomfortable while working from a desk. It’s essentially a compact stool that you can easily fit under the table, but it has some special key features. As its name states, this footrest is adjustable, meaning you can tilt its surface at any angle. Whether you want your feet to be slightly elevated toward your body or at a downward slope, all you have to do is slant it to your liking. The footrest’s height is also adjustable.
What’s more, its rectangular platform sports a bumpy texture to prevent your feet from sliding off. Personally, I subconsciously try to prop my feet up on my desk’s lower shelves while typing, but I’m unable to find relief because said shelves are fully stacked with books and binders. A product like this is nothing short of tempting. And if you’re petite, the footrest is a must-have. “Didn’t realize how much my legs hanging all day contributed to my knee pain and leg exhaustion,” one reviewer shared. “This was a perfect solution at a very nominal cost.”
Even if you’re back to working on-site, nothing’s stopping you from bringing the footrest along. It weighs under 5 lbs., so you can easily transport it and never feel discomfort at a desk again. Your body will thank you in the long run. Grab your own footrest now from Amazon, and make sure to hit the “apply 5 percent coupon” button for a discount!
by Furnishly | Dec 16, 2022 | Design Inspiration, Style
Kristen GaraffoContributor
Kristen is a Washington, D.C.-based freelance writer and homebody. She specializes in home and lifestyle content, and loves helping others live their best lives at home and beyond. Romanticizing her life since 1987, you can probably find her sipping on iced coffee, crushing a Crossfit workout, designing her next dream space, or blasting Taylor Swift.
by Furnishly | Dec 15, 2022 | Design Inspiration, Style
Popular productivity advice tells you to wake up early, do the hardest things first, and get things done whether or not you feel like it. It’s sold as “discipline” that you must cultivate if you want to be successful.
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I spent years reading dozens of productivity books, trying a wide range of “tips” and “hacks,” and feeling there was something wrong with me because none of it worked. No Pomodoro timers or cute planners gave me the motivation or the energy to efficiently tick things off my to-do list. At the end of the day, I felt exhausted trying to force my brain to get things done.
One day, I was too frustrated and burnt out to work, so I stopped. I was at war with myself, doing subpar work, and realized there was no point pushing through the brain fog. Instead, I let my mind and body rest for a while. As the evening rolled around, I started feeling better. I was motivated to finish the same pending tasks I had been dreading just a few hours ago. I sat down to work and was more efficient than I’d been for years.
But the problem returned the next morning. I woke up and struggled way too much to get even the simplest of tasks done. I just couldn’t. As a freelancer, I can choose my own work hours, so again, I took the afternoon off to decompress. The pattern kept repeating.
It made me think: What if there’s nothing wrong with me for not being at my productive best early in the day? What if I’m a night owl and my circadian rhythm primes my body to peak in the evenings? So over the next few days, instead of being hard on myself to perform when I simply wasn’t at my best, I began working when I had a burst of energy and the clarity of thought to put my best work forward.
I started noticing my energy levels throughout the day and used a simple spreadsheet to mark my energy and focus levels on a scale from 1-5 so I could understand when I’m naturally productive.
As expected, I had a small productivity peak in the morning but the biggest energy boost happened later in the day. My workday began when other people were winding down. Once I allowed myself to follow this natural rhythm, my productivity shot up drastically. I didn’t need any timers or discipline quotes to get things done. In fact, I got a lot more done in the last few hours of the day than what I was previously doing for the whole week.
I started applying the same principle to my workouts, eating habits, sleep schedule, and everything I did during the day. When I used to exercise with my mom, she preferred the mornings but I underperformed every single day. As I switched to evening workouts, I was able to push myself out of the comfort zone more easily.
Similarly, I stopped waking up early unnecessarily. I work from home and I don’t have any early meetings or social events, so there was really no reason for me to be up at 6 a.m. if I can’t focus properly until 6 p.m. Instead, I followed my body’s natural cycle and started going to bed later in the day, waking up by midday, and shifting my entire work schedule to the evenings.
Not only has this made me more productive, but it also improved my relationship with myself. It can be tempting to label yourself as “undisciplined” or “lazy” if you’re not getting things done as efficiently as you expect yourself to. But taking the time to understand your body’s natural rhythms will help you design a day that’s more aligned with your energy cycles.
This way, you work when you’re focused and rest when you’re low without having to “force” yourself through anything you don’t feel ready to do. The best part? It all starts with a simple spreadsheet or even a pen and piece of paper!
by Furnishly | Sep 1, 2022 | Design Inspiration, Style
Kelly Dawson
Kelly Dawson is a media consultant based in Los Angeles. She is a prolific writer for notable publications including Cup of Jo, Vox, AFAR, Dwell, Martha Stewart Living, McSweeney’s and Architectural Digest. Kelly is the three-time guest editor for Refinery29’s “Voices of Disability” series, two-time guest host of “Call Your Girlfriend,” and deputy editor at Apartment Therapy.
