As vaccines roll out and cities are slowly reopening, employers have found more reasons why they should encourage employees to return to work. For employees, this would mean leaving their cozy and heated couches in exchange for freezing office cubicles. It is also the time when the war over the thermostat can quickly turn into office drama.
A cold, stuffy office cubicle is the worst place to work, especially during the winter months. Although low temperatures can feel like a breath of fresh air after arriving in the building, a freezing office eventually affects your performance and productivity. Instead of focusing on the work at hand, your mind will always dwell on how to keep yourself warm and cozy for the whole eight hours.
When working from home, it’s easy to take control of the heating and cooling system of your home office. You can adjust it at any level you want or even turn it off whenever you want to. You also have the freedom to contact a furnace installer if the heating system isn’t working well.
As the cold months slowly approach, it’s important to look for ways how to keep yourself sufficiently warm and prevent the freezing temperatures from affecting your concentration levels. With that in mind, here are ways to stay warm and cozy in a freezing office.
Shawls, snuggies, and sweaters
We’ll start the list with the most obvious option: bring an extra jacket or sweater with you to the office!
If those extra layers still aren’t enough, heated jackets make the perfect accessory for a freezing workspace! Warm and lightweight, a heated jacket allows controlling the temperature of the clothing. It runs on rechargeable battery packs in which you can also adjust its heat level depending on the room temperature.
High-tech heated jackets have three heat modes: light, medium, and high mode. Regardless of how cold the weather or the A/C is, a heated jacket will keep you all warmed up and protected from a freezing workspace.
It’s also worth considering keeping a hoodie in your filing cabinet. You never know if one of your coworkers cranks up the A/C and you want to save yourself from the drama. It can also save you if it’s unexpectedly cold outside after leaving the office. A great tip is to take the less-expensive route so you won’t mind losing it.
If you’re on the fashionable side and the office allows casual wear, try wearing a denim jacket. You can also invest in a soft and extra long shawl or scarves to wrap around your neck for some extra warmth. A large scarf can also double as a blanket if you want to stay cozy inside your cubicle.
Hot beverage
One of the best parts of winter is sipping a hot coffee, tea, or chocolate. If your hand is usually freezing to the point you cannot type on the keyboard, you want to hold on to your precious, warm mug to stay warm. But it starts to get annoying when your hot beverage quickly gets cold even before finishing it.
Whether you’re a big fan of coffee or hot chocolate, you may want to invest in a mug warmer. Of course, you want to get warmed up until the last drop of your hot coffee. That’s why you should get yourself a mug warmer to maintain your drink’s steaming temperature consistently.
Remember that mug warmers can be quite pricey and take up a lot of space on your desk, so make sure to consider this before hunting for mug warmers.
Still, it’s important to be wary of how many cups of coffee you consume in an entire day. Too much caffeine has certain health risks, so it’s best to look for healthier alternatives and monitor your coffee drinking.
Get moving
Nothing warms you up like getting your blood flow running in your body. One reason why you people easily freeze in the office is remaining in a stationary position for hours on end. This explains why you feel hot after an exercise routine. Your body receives more heat if you’re constantly moving.
During breaks, consider taking a short stroll or going up and down the stairs. This won’t only keep you warm, but it’s also good for your physical and mental health.
Never let annoying temperatures affect your quality of work. While returning to the office can give a bittersweet feeling, it’s also crucial for employers to make the return to work a meaningful experience for everyone. That is, providing a warm and cozy office environment for your employees.