Running your own business from home can be a great thing, allowing you the flexibility to fit your work around the other things you want or need to do in your life. In summer, it can be even better, as you can spend the breaks you take from your working schedule relaxing in your own garden, or even work from a park or beach if the kind of thing you do allows you to work with just a laptop, phone and mobile internet connection!
Of course, it can get pretty hot at this time of year, and when you are consigned to your home office, you’re going to need to make sure the heat doesn’t make it too uncomfortable for you to feel productive. This can be one of the only downsides to working from home over the hottest season – almost all corporate offices have industrial strength air conditioning!
Here are some ways you can make your office as easy to work in as possible when the temperatures rise:
Ventilation
One of the obvious things to do is make sure you can get fresh air flowing through the room. No amount of fans will help if the air is still, humid and stuffy from being closed up, so you’ll want to be able to open windows as much as you need to. This means you should fit good meshes over the windows to prevent annoying mosquitoes and flies getting in and distracting you. For a touch of high tech luxury, you can also have your windows open and close by remote control. This means you don’t even have to get up from your desk if you need more air into the room! Take a look at Teal Products, who offer remote window openings if you are interested.
Fans
Once you have a source of fresh air, you want to keep that air moving. A ceiling fan is best as oscillating desk fans can be annoying when they blast full in your face, but look for a silent one that won’t distract you. If you need some extra fan action near your face, consider a small USB powered fan you can plug into your computer.
Cooling Your Laptop
When you’re feeling hot, you can imagine how your computer feels! If you can hear your laptop fan running most of the time, the computer is struggling, and you do want to avoid overheating as this can lead to it suddenly powering off. Invest in a laptop stand with an additional built in fan that further vents and cools the machine. These are usually USB powered and not especially expensive.
Working from home in summer has loads of great benefits, so get your office well ventilated, turn on your fans, take action to keep your laptop cool, and make sure you stay hydrated with plenty of cool drinks, and there’s no reason yours can’t be productive as well as enjoyable!
