With the recent announcement from the PM that we are reaching the end of lockdown, many of us are wondering what exactly that will mean in terms of our working lives. For many, working from home has shown us a new and modern way of working that we want to embrace. It’s not for everyone though, but as we move into the second half of 2021, flexible working should be key to the post COVID world.

We know that many of you have been working from home both part-time and in some cases, permanently since the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and have created your own home workspaces. It seems that 2019 was a lifetime ago, and we could not agree more.

Working from home can for some seem hard, lonely, and in some cases hectic making it hard to focus, which has a negative effect on our mental health. Although working from home can have its downfalls for some of us, we wanted to focus on the positives you can get out of it with saving on commuting to work, and helping you live a more flexible work/life balance.

A Government taskforce is currently urging job flexibility for all

workers so that millions could benefit from new rights to work from home stating that flexible

working should be prolonged as ‘A national shift to flexible working would boost productivity and particularly help women and those outside major cities’. Flexible working doesn’t just mean working from home – it means different (flexi) hours, compressed hours and more. Many businesses have downsized office space after seeing the potential with flexi working, reducing their costs and helping create a happier and more productive workforce.

So why flexible working?

Flexible working has great positives and is becoming more attractive to workers, with 30% more people in 2021 applying for flexible working roles. Flexible working gives employees the option to work around their lifestyle rather than the other way around.

Flexible working and working from home come hand in hand. With great benefits of saving money on timely commutes which is having a greater impact on the environment. Working from home also allows flexibility for you, your time, and your family.

Here at SMART, we want to help those of you who are working from home with some positive ideas in how to allow flexible working to benefit you.

Working in the garden and making most of our summer weather

With great summer days as of late, we are all living for the weekend and ready to get out in the sunshine and make the most of our days off outdoors.

Why not enjoy it while working?

Garden Rooms and being in an outdoor environment has great health benefits and therefore we love creating rooms for those of you working from home.

Forbes data shows that working in outdoor environments can improve:

• Increased Happiness
• Reduced inflammation
• More energetic
• Improved Memory
• Stress relief

Have a break from the office – Go for a walk and explore on your lunch break!

Sometimes, sitting at a desk, staring into a computer can end up making us feel drained and isn’t always best for our overall health. If you are prone to computer headaches, and numb legs from sitting down, what is better than going for a nice stroll at lunchtime and taking a well-needed rest? Even taking the dog for a walk (If you have one) – saves you having to do it later.

Going for a walk is good for your overall health and keeps your energy levels up when you need to be focused on work and keeps you feeling happy and positive through endorphins.

Keeping it flexible – Allow working at home to do all the things you could not do when working in an office

Working from home has great benefits, like being able to do the small tasks you cannot bear to do after work, like putting the washing out, ironing, cleaning and more. This is now an integrated part of your time; allow it to help you. You also no longer need to take the dog to a family member or to doggy day-care, you can let them out, take them for a walk and enjoy spending more time with them.  This new way of working also helps you with childcare, homeschooling, saving money on commuting, and other responsibilities.

Spend more time with loved ones.

The best time you can spend is with your loved ones – supporting one another through this pandemic has proved successful in bringing us together, and as a community. If you are working from home and have young children, I am sure that this new way of working has helped you immensely with time pressures and allowed you to be with them for more time in the day without having to rush around to get to work on time.

This valuable time is now saved out of commuting to and from work and spent on your loved ones.

Saving money!

Saving money has been one of the greatest benefits for employees who no longer need to commute every day, potentially up to £300 a month. Employees who are now working from home are also saving costs of childcare and time.

If you are now working from home permanently or part-time for the foreseeable future, we have some amazing SMART garden offices which can help you focus on work, away from the house, allowing you to enjoy the views of your garden while working. The atmosphere of a garden office space can build a positive and energetic working space that will provide a productive working environment, aside to your home environment which is particularly important and beneficial to your mental health.

With the money that you are saving from not having to commute, pay out for childcare etc, you could invest in your very own SMART Garden Office for as little as £212 a month.

A dedicated outdoor space will benefit you greatly by separating your work and home life. Being only a short walk from your home your new space will also allow you to keep an eye on everything you hold dear.

Owning a SMART garden office will also add value to your property, so investing in this home working space now will not only save you time and money in the short term, but it will also be beneficial to you in the long term – so it’s an all-round win-win!

 

Order Your Brochure Now

If working from home has improved your work/life balance and is becoming a more prominent part of your life, check out what SMART Garden Offices has to offer you. There’s a garden room to suit every taste, budget and garden size, with 7 unique and diverse ranges to choose from, available in 60+ sizes starting from just £10,020. And now, with our new SMART configuration AR visualiser App, you can have a go at creating your very own garden office directly from your PC or tablet using our App.

 

Before you get started though, it’s worth downloading a copy of our brochure. It’s packed full of real-life designs and inspiration from gardens across Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex and London.