Mental health and working from home

 

The top emotions people working at least two days from home feel are 'free', 'in control', and 'calm', according to the latest survey from occupational health experts BHSF. The authors of the report conclude these results indicate that more employers should consider extending flexible working to more of their workforce, in order to help manage stress levels and give employees more control over their working day.

 

However, a significant number of those surveyed chose more negative words to describe their feelings. Just over a quarter said that working from home made them feel remote, a similar figure felt isolated and a fifth lonely. Indeed, the survey revealed that a quarter of employers had made no special adjustments, such as arranging regular face-to-face meetings or providing relevant equipment, to make shedworkers and other remote workers feel part of the team. 

 

Homeworkers aged 51 and over are the most likely to feel lonely and isolated, yet the same age group

feel significantly more ‘in control’ than those in their 30s (54% compared to 42%).The figures suggest that home working is also more popular among women. Half said it made them feel calm, compared to 39% of men and more than half of women also said it made them feel free.

 

“The results of the survey clearly show that it is not enough to simply offer flexible working to get the best out of employees," said BHSF Chief Medical Officer Dr Philip McCrea. “Employers must look at how they manage remote workers effectively, supporting their specific health and wellbeing needs to ensure that they get the most out of these employees. If implemented in the right way, home working can have a significant positive effect on employees’ mental health.”

Image courtesy Garden Affairs -------------------------------------------------------

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Shedworker Peter Zinovieff and the birth of electronic music

We've talked before on Shedworking about the part shedworkers played in the earliest days of electronic music, especially Peter Zinovieff whose garden studio in Putney backed onto the river. Here's a newly-released video from the BBC which shows him at work and takes a brief look at the state of electronic music today and in the future. As they put it: "Peter Zinovieff was the first person to use computers to compose music - which he did from a shed at the bottom of his garden"

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Tiny Boundaries

An interesting example of how shedworking/tiny homes work in practice, this mobile workspace and microhouse belongs to Lynton and Pi Davidson who work in the media industry but are now basing themselves on the island of Jura in Scotland's inner Hebrides (where George Orwell finished writing 1984) where the local population is around the 200 mark.

It's designed and built by Dutch tiny house specialists  Liberté and designer Woonpioniers, and serves as both a tiny mobile home and office where the couple can live but also work. The couple specifically wanted a space that they could travel with that could be used as a studio in which to work, as well as a space where they could run events or workshops. And at the same time, they needed somewhere in which to live for short periods.

So it has a kitchen, sleeping loft, composting toilet and shower room plus office space and has a woodburning stove as well as solar power. The video below explains more about the whys and wherefores and is an excellent watch (put together by KLCK). You can read more about them and all involved at tinyboundaries.com.

Tiny Boundaries from KLCK. on Vimeo. ------------------------------------------

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Talent Garden Dublin

It's interesting to see how the garden office ethos is increasingly used in new office setups. Here is the office space of new co-working specialists Talent Garden Dublin which uses greenery spread around the floors and desks to add a nice shedworkingesque touch. A rooftop garden terrace is also in the works. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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The importance of planning permission for your garden office

It's always worth reminding people considering going down the garden office route that it's crucial to get all the paperwork in place before setting up. As reported in the Bucks Free Press, a shed in Chalfont St Peter will have to come down after neighbours of the owner complained to Chiltern District Council's planning committee about how it was intruding on their home life.
 According to the report "numerous phone calls" were being made from the 2.54m shed structure which affected the couple's health and privacy. The councillors were divided but voted to refuse a retrospective planning application because the proximity of the building to the neighbour’s fence “contravenes our general conditions”.

As always, it's a good idea to take a look at the Planning Portal before going to talk to your local planners.
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How to build a shed for your communal garden

An excellent guide on Green Home Gnome looks at how to make an upcycled pallet shed. It's quite a brief look at what's required but very inspirational and includes helpful diagrams, like this one below. Well worth a read.

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Roald Dahl shows how to procrastinate in your garden office (video)

Shedworker extraordinaire Roald Dahl was also a great one for delaying the start of work as long as possible. Here he is at work in the video below. Well, kind of at work.


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