When I left my full-time job because of chronic illness, I also had to redesign my home office with furniture and functional decor that would make working from home with a chronic illness more comfortable and productive. 

I did some research while I was redesigning my home office for my specific chronic illness needs. Of course, some of these may not apply to your situation but I think most of these items and tips are beneficial to anyone who is working from home while dealing with chronic conditions.

The following list are things I found to make a home office chronic illness friendly (the why behind the items are listed in below explanations):

• UV Free clean lighting
• Light colors
• Easy gliding and locking file cabinet with furniture feet
• Binders
• Glider rocking chair with gliding footstool
• Chair massager with heat
• hp All-in-One printer with hp instant ink
• Adjustable desk for standing or sitting with pullout keyboard tray
• Heated foot massager
• Portable storage devices
• Dual monitor system
• Gel mouse pad
• Heated mouse
• Indoor plant
• Small humidifier or dehumidifier
• Oversized knobs and handles on furniture
• Peg board or elastic board 
• Cushioned lapdesk for laptop
• Cordless mouse and keyboard
• Whiteboard and dry erase markers
• Blue light blocker glasses, screen protector or screen settings

Office Atmosphere: Sets the Tone for Working with a Chronic Condition

– UV Free clean lighting

Many autoimmune disorders, like Lupus, cause photosensitivity. This can cause a reaction to natural and artificial lighting, such as halogen and fluorescent light bulbs do to ultraviolet light (UV). I never thought about it much until I realized my home office originally had fluorescent lighting but we removed it because I kept having migraines. 

Another interesting finding in research is the relief or reduction of aggravation in migraines utilizing green tint lighting instead of blue, yellow, or red. Be sure to check out the ‘blue light lenses’ section below for links ot resources.

– Light colors 

Your color scheme can influence your mood thus influencing your productivity, positivity, and overall mental, physical, and emotional health. Sounds extreme right? The colors of my walls might make me anxious? Well, yes in a sense.

Lighter colors promote a positive mindset, productivity, and energy. It’s super easy to find a ton of resources online about the psychology of colors. I personally get overwhelmed extremely easy with a cluttered workspace and energizing colors agitate me. My mind already has enough energy for the most part it’s my body that can’t keep up. 

My office already had a pastel off white, light gray and nude marble pattern wallpaper. So, to prevent added ‘business’ or the feeling of ‘clutter’ I went with a simple wood grain stained top and satin white body to all my furniture. It’s a very clean feeling, calm and provides good lighting with just the window on days my eyes are too sensitive to lights. The darker wood stain tops prevent me looking at glaring surfaces too, which helps a ton!

– Indoor plant

According to multiple websites, like Healthline.com, an indoor plant can provide a little bit of life and color as well as being good for the quality of air (some increases humidity), boosts your mood, lowers the chance of illness, enhances concentration and memory, and promotes healing in hospitals. Why wouldn’t this be a good item to add to your home? Especially if you work from home or stay in a lot due to chronic conditions.

– Small humidifier or dehumidifier

Depending on your personal preference and conditions, one of these may be a good idea. For example, a humidifier in winter when the air is dryer for someone with Sjogren’s Syndrome could make life a little more comfortable. Or a dehumidifier for those living in Florida in the summer when joint pain is increased with summer showers and high humidity may bring some relief.

– Blue light blocker glasses, screen protector or screen settings

Anyone who suffers from migraines, eye strain, or just headaches in general may like this one. A few reputable sites, like BrainFacts.org and this National headache Foundation article, have written on research of blue light increasing pain for migraines while green lighting has shown to provide relief or at least not contribute to pain.

Blocking the blue light may help reduce onset of migraines or at least provide a little help during an episode. More research is being done, however I will tell you that I personally have all my devices set to the night time setting to reduce blue light emissions.

Originally I did this because of studies showing it easier to sleep but I’ve also noticed a reduction in afternoon eye strain and headaches, also migraines. Coincidence? Maybe. But I’m sticking to it.

Office Furniture: Making a Home Office Comfortable with Chronic Conditions

– Easy glide and locking file cabinet with furniture feet

The furniture feet lifts the filing cabinet 2-4 inches, making it just a little more accessible by a shorter reach and less binding over. Making sure it glides easily will reduce friction in the shoulders, elbows, and wrists while also reducing grip needed in the hands.

Locking is a personal preference, but a small top draw is a great place to store checkbooks, account passwords, etc.

– Glider Rocking Chair with Gliding footstool

This is a personal preference but I put a tall back gliding rocking chair with a gliding footstool (normally used in a nursery) in my office. When practicing the Pomodoro technique to accomplish my work, I also use it to make sure my body isn’t in the same form all day long.

On days I’m able, I’ll do a few squats, lunges, planks, etc. in the 5-10 minute break and on days I’m not able, I’ll sit in the glider. I’ll use flexing my calves and pointing my toes to create the rocking so I’m still getting blood flow without the pressure on my joints or having to hold my own weight up.

– Adjustable desk

Using a desk that converts from sitting to standing use is great for a lot of chronic conditions. Also, having a keyboard tray that slides out and drops down to the correct position in relation to your elbows is beneficial for comfort as well.

-Office chair and yoga ball

This is common sense but I was stubborn and didn’t want to spend the money on a good, comfortable office chair at first. I learned my lesson. Make sure you pick something out that will be comfortable and provides the support you will need when sitting for long periods of time.

Another option is the yoga ball on wheels. Typically used towards the end of a pregnancy, switching between the yoga ball and office chair throughout the day may provide relief to the hips while getting engagement in the core that’s lacking from a regular chair.

– Oversized knobs and handles on furniture

Self explanatory. Large knobs and handles are easier to grip for arthritic hands.

– Cushioned lapdesk for laptop

This is great to have on hand when you just can’t find a comfortable place to work except for the couch or in bed.

Office Supplies Making Work-life Easier

– Binders

In addition to my file cabinet, I use binders to keep things organized on my desk. These typically are active projects, resources, and trackers.

– hp All in one printer with hp instant ink

I personally love my hp all in one printer. It has fax, scan, copy, and print. I also subscribe to the hp instant ink monthly service so I don’t have to hunt down ink in multiple stores in the middle of a project, which totally helps conserve energy. I even get emails when it’s low on ink and ready to be changed. 

– Portable storage devices

I keep my graphics, fonts and downloaded stock photos etc. on a portable storage device so I can take it with me. If I’m working from somewhere other than my office, like bed, couch, vacation, etc., having a laptop with external storage makes it easy to stay active or just sit outside and work for a while.

– Dual monitor system

Using a dual monitor setup speeds up my productivity, helps me stay focused, and easily find what I’m looking for. It’s especially helpful when brain fog is high because I don’t catch myself opening a ton of tabs back and forth trying to remember what I was looking for to complete a task.

– Peg board with hanging baskets and hooks and a cushioned elastic or pocket board 

These boards may be easier than push pins on the hands. I also think they can be super cute and made to fit the decor of your office really easily.

– Cordless mouse and keyboard

Sometimes my arms get tired trying to hold them up to type so being able to sit the keyboard and mouse on my lap while keeping the laptop or monitor head height for proper neck position can be amazing! Definitely adds time to my productivity and reduces strain.

– Whiteboard and dry erase markers 

You may find these are easier than chalk on the hands and allergies, personal preference here. I like using my white board when my eyes are strained or neck is agitated instead of paper and pen for going through ideas or writing out a quick to-do list.

Office Items for Pure Comfort and Creating a Cozy Space for Working In

• Chair massager with heat
• Heated foot massager
• Gel mouse pad
• Heated mouse