The Sustainable guide to Working/Studying From Home 🏡

Sure, we have been doing this a little while now. Whether it’s full time or part time working from home, or online teaching and learning, four walls and a bit of tech has become a more normal sight for many in recent times. But as time stretches on, maybe we need to reset how productive we are at home to get the best sustainability results…

• Heating – Winter is on it’s way, and while typing away you may be tempted to reach for that heating button a little too easily. Stop! First, no one’s there to watch you, so you can slip into your fluffy slippers, pop on a jumper or grab a blanket, and keep yourself warm the cosy way, until you feel comfortable. Also, be savvy about when you put the heating on – having it on at night is very wasteful since you don’t feel the benefits of a warm house if you are asleep. If your house needs heating, put it on for a set amount of time when you most need it, then conserve that heat for the rest of the day though a combination of draught excluding and comfy knitwear…
• Lighting – If it is not in use, turn it off! Once you have got the right amount of light for your work space, turn off all other lights in the house where they are not needed. Less energy used, lower energy bills – win win!

• Plugs – Another turn it off one. Laptops, phones……………… Once it gets to 100% charged, switch the charger off at the plug. Give your tech a rest and reset every once in a while and fully turn your appliances off, instead of plugging it in by default in the morning and having appliances on standby all day, which wastes lots of energy. That 20 second wait while your laptop turns back on really isn’t that bad, is it? It also gives your head a break too…
• Work space – Create the best work or study environment for you: Bottle of water, natural light, all the stationery essentials, and get them in the same place. Then you can effectively shut down the rest of the house for the day, to avoid wasting heat, light and electricity keeping other rooms powered. At the end of the day, you can then leave your workspace and rest in a non-work related zone 🙂

Reset your productivity and your sustainability while working and studying at home, and reap the rewards for the environment and yourself! 🏠