Working from home has some great benefits. In the summer, you can work outdoors in the sunshine and you can work more flexibly, allowing you to make the most of the weather. But, what about when the weather turns? Winter doesn’t just mean that those benefits aren’t available, it also means that you face either working in a cold home office or much higher energy bills because you are home more of the time. If you want to reduce costs without sacrificing warmth, here are some tips to help you to keep warm while working from home this winter.
Warm Your Office
Heating your whole home is expensive, and if you are only really using a small part of it during the day, it’s unnecessary. If your thermostat allows you to create zones, separate your office so that you can easily heat it without heating the rest of your home until you need to. If not, try turning the heaters down in rooms that you aren’t using.
Schedule Your Heating
A smart thermostat with a thermostat wifi connection gives you the ability to control your home heating from your phone. You’ll be able to set schedules, but also use geofencing to make sure your heating goes off if you leave the house. This can save you money and mean that you can run your heating at times and temperatures that suit your needs.
Use Old-Fashioned Ways to Trap Heat
Smart thermostats are great, but they aren’t the only way to warm your home. Things like draft excluders and heavy curtains can make it easier to retain heat and sitting with a hot water bottle can help to warm your body. If you type a lot, wearing fingerless gloves is another great idea.
Make the Most of the Sun
Not all winter days are grey and dull. Some are fresh and bright. On sunny days, even when the air is cold, the sun will work to warm the rooms that it’s facing. On these days, instead of sitting in your office, follow the sun around your home, working in the warmest room at the time.
Have Your Main Meal at Lunch Time
Comfort food is a great way to warm up. Most of us feel warm when we’ve eaten a hot meal and are full. Instead of eating a bigger meal for dinner, enjoy a hot warming lunch in the middle of your day at work. If you do want to keep things light, try warm food like soup instead of cold options.
Get Up and Move
We’re coldest when we are sat still. Every hour or so, get up and move around, stretch, jog on the spot for a few minutes or do some chores around the house to get your blood pumping.
One of the benefits of working in an office during the winter is that you work in a warm environment without having to pay the energy bill. But there are many more benefits to working from home, and plenty of ways to keep warm while you are doing it.